'Scud' sees off embattled Rusedski
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Greg Rusedski bids farewell to the Sydney crowd after his second round defeat.
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SYDNEY, Australia -- Australian Mark Philippoussis won the battle of the big servers as he saw off a spirited challenge from embattled Briton Greg Rusedski in the Sydney International on Wednesday.
Rusedski, at the center of a drugs row after admitting a positive test for the banned steroid nandrolone, was beaten 6-3 1-6 6-4 in the second round match.
It capped a good day for home players with former world number one Lleyton Hewitt beating Slovak Karol Kucera 6-4 6-1.
Philippoussis, runner-up at Wimbledon last year, rode his booming serve to take the first set but lost his rhythm in the wind as Rusedski fought back to level the match.
The fourth seed saved two break points in the ninth game of the deciding set and then broke Rusedski in the next game to seal victory.
Philippoussis will play French Open finalist Martin Verkerk in Thursday's quarter-finals after the Dutchman beat Max Mirnyi of Belarus 6-7 7-6 7-6 in another close match.
Hewitt trailed Kucera 4-0 in the opening set before totally dominated the remainder of the proceedings.
Sydney teenager Todd Reid also continued his great form this season to beat Felix Mantilla of Spain 6-4 6-1.
The Spanish will at least be guaranteed one player in the semi-finals after Carlos Moya and Tommy Robredo both won to set up a meeting in the next round.
Moya beat Michael Llodra of France 7-6 6-3 while Robredo upset Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan, the fifth seed, 4-6 6-1 7-6.
