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Thai girl shocks Testud

Anna Kournikova reached the fourth round of the women's singles at Wimbledon on Friday when injury forced her opponent Ines Gorrochategui of Argentina to retire. The 17th seeded Russian was leading 7-5 3-1 when Gorrochategui retired.

Kournikova was joined in the last 16 by last year's beaten finalist Nathalie Tauziat of France, who proved too good for Seda Noorlander of The Netherlands, winning 6-1 6-1.

However, another Frenchwoman, 13th seed Sandrine Testud, was fell by the wayside. She was beaten by Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand, 6-2, 1-6, 6-3.

Testud's exit meant that 12 of the 16 seeds were left in the tournament.

Kournikova, seeded after the withdrawal of 10th seed Serena Williams and a semi-finalist here in 1997, took the first set at the second time of asking on her own serve after a tough battle.

Gorrochategui won the opening game of the second set but took an injury time-out of three minutes at the break to undergo treatment on a shoulder problem and to put on a knee support. The Argentinian, who was having problems with her toss on service, had undergone knee surgery in the last year. She initially continued, but after Kournikova, who began finding her length the longer the match went on, had secured another break and won the first point of the fifth game, Gorrochategui retired to sympathetic applause.

"I'm improving all the time and I've found my rhythm," said Kournikova.

Kournikova meets Venus Williams, who overpowered Sarah Pitkowski of France 6-1, 6-1.

The unseeded Tanasugarn reached the fourth round here last year - before falling to Martina Hingis - as did Testud.

In an error-ridden game played in blazing sun, Testud and Tanasugarn struggled to keep the ball in play. Tanasugarn was marginally the more consistent of the pair in the opening set and reeled off the last four games to take it 6-2.

But then her game fell apart and world number 16 Testud took advantage, winning the final four games of that set to level matters. She could not keep it up, though, and sprayed a series of errors around the court allowing the 22-year-old Tanasugarn to take control.

Agencies