Thailand’s Tanasugarn Knocks Out No. 4 Majoli

MELBOURNE, Australia â€”  French Open champion Iva Majoli of Croatia was ambushed in the third round of the Australian Open by 20-year-old Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand.

Tanasugarn, whose family used to run a Thai restaurant in Hollywood, upset fourth-seeded Majoli, 6-0, 6-2. Majoli had a bandage on her knee but otherwise had little excuse for a lackluster effort.

“It was my first win against a top-10 player,� Tanasugarn said. “It was not Iva’s day today, she was making a lot of errors.�

Tanasugarn was born in Los Angeles and lived there until she moved with her family to Thailand at age 5. It was while in L.A. that she took up tennis, but it was while in Thailand that her game flourished.

She became a celebrity in a country that seldom acknowledges female athletes. Tanasugarn has been named sportswoman of the year and carried Thailand’s flag in the Atlanta Olympics.

In other women’s third-round action, Venus Williams needed only an hour to defeat Amelie Mauresmo of France, 6-1, 6-4.

Williams, 17, continues to benefit from a favorable draw. She has yet to face a seeded player and will not in the next round. Williams plays Patty Schnyder in the fourth round. Schnyder, of Switzerland, upset 16th-seeded Lisa Raymond, 2-6, 6-3, 8-6.

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One seeded player fell in the men’s draw. Cedric Pioline of defeated No. 11 Alex Corretja of Spain, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4.

Top-seeded Pete Sampras defeated Magnus Gustafsson, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4. He had 18 aces and is winning with such ease that it’s almost possible to miss him. Just the way Sampras likes it.