Rafter, the US Open champion, has a chance of replacing Pete Sampras as the top-ranked player in the world in the coming weeks.

Opening a day of second-round matches, the unseeded American beat favoured Korda 6-3, 7-6 (7-2).

Fifth-seed Karol Kucera of Slovakia then defeated Germany's Tommy Haas 7-5, 6-4.

Haas' main problem was his weakness with the first service.

Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden subsequently subdued Bohdan Ulihrach of the Czech Republic, 6-4, 6-1. Eighth-seeded Tim Henman of Britain rallied to beat Sweden's Thomas Enquist 6-7 (2-7), 6-3, 6-3.

Williams in quarters

ZURICH: After a four-day wait, Venus Williams began play in the one million dollar European Championships tournament with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Corina Morariu yesterday.

A qualifier last year, Williams was the No 2 seed at the Europeantournament which officially changed its name to Swisscom Challenge yesterday and consequently received a bye into the second round.

Morariu played three qualifying matches to reach the main draw, then posted a first-round win over France's Sandrine Testud.

Williams, a semifinalist at the US Open, will meet seventh-seeded Mary Pierce in the quarter-finals.

For Swiss fans, interest in the quarter-finals was dimmed when Barbara Schett of Austria beat local favourite Patty Schnyder, seeded fifth, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4).

Nathalie Tauziat of France also played her first match of the tournament yesterday, defeating Lisa Raymond 6-2, 6-3.

Eighth-seeded Dominique van Roost reached the quarter-finals, beating Amelie Mauresmo of France 6-3, 6-4. Van Roost will face Irina Spirlea in the quarter-finals, and Davenport, No 1 in the world, plays sixth-seed Amanda Coetzer.