Unseeded Venus Williams beat her younger sister Serena in straight sets in their second round clash at the Australian Open in Melbourne on the third day of the competition.

The 17-year-old American overcame her sister, 15 months her junior, by 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 in their first meeting at senior level.

Venus, expected to be one of the main contenders for the title, showed far too much experience for Serena who beat No 6 seed Irina Spirlea in the first round.

The Florida duo, who practice together, clearly knew each other's game too well as service was broken five games in a row in a first set which went to the tie-break.

Venus, who beat world number one Martina Hingis in Sydney last week, took the first set by 7-4 before romping to victory in the second set by 6-1 as she twice broke Serena's serve.

In the next round she will play 18-year-old Amelie Mauresmo, the 1996 junior world champion, after her second-round 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Austria's Sylvia Plischke.

Carlos Moya out of the Open

In the men's competition, Carlos Moya of Spain, the No 7 seed and last year's losing finalist, was beaten in the second round by Australian Richard Fromberg.

Fromberg, the world number 56, won 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 to topple Moya, the biggest of the five seeds out of the Open.

Mark Philippoussis, the 15th seed, became the second big casualty of the day when he was dumped out by inspired Moroccan Hicham Arazi, ranked 47 in the world.

Mark Philippoussis, the second major seed to crash out

Philippoussis never seemed confident against his 26-year-old opponent despite an emphatic start, eventually falling in five sets 1-6 6-2 4-6 6-1 9-7.

Arazi out-aced the big-serving Australian 21-19 and took greater advantage of break chances, winning six to Philippoussis's four.

Meanwhile, the Australian Open organisers have fined Goran Ivanisevic for refusing to attend a press conference after losing in the first round to Dutchman Jan Siemerink.

Ivanisevic, seeded 13th, was punished for the same offence at Wimbledon last year and was suspended from the ATP Tour for two months in 1994.
 

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