Melbourne:Tennis pals Kim Clijsters and Martin Hingis finished off a pair of opponentswithin a few moments of each other Thursday to dash unhindered into the thirdround of the Australian Open. 

It was a sprint to the finish for both former Grand Slamchampions, with Clijsters polishing off Japan's 86th-ranked Akiko Morigami6-3, 6-0 in 59 minutes.

It took the 1997-99 Melbournechampion Hingis a handful of additional minutes before cementing a win overRussian Alla Kudryavtseva 6-2, 6-2.

Clijsters explained the race to the finish line.

"We were waiting to be escorted to court and she saidshe wanted to out, and she's like: 'I hope I'm going to get here before you gethere. We were joking and laughing. But it's fun. That's what's so good aboutit,"she said.

"We're friends off the court, and you can laugh and saythose kind of things. But once you get on the court, if we get to play eachother, it's all business," she said.

Clijsters is booking a retirement from the game at age 24sometime during the second half of the year, a decision that has apparentlygiven her a renewed sense of tranquility.

"I'm working towards that," she said of thesatisfaction she felt by winning the 2005 US Open, her only Grand Slam title.

 "I don't feel like I'm quite there yet, but I'mdefinitely moving upwards. I'm definitely feeling a lot better than I was overthe last few months or last year," she said.

"I don't think I've enjoyed being out there as much nowthan I was last year," she said.

Clijsters, who confesses to a love of home-making that shehas never actually experienced after spending most of her life on court, saidthat recurring injuries and the daily time it takes to keep them at bay aredriving her early exit.

Sixth seed Hingis, 25, in the second year of her comebackafter a three-year retirement, was no match for number 134 Kudryavtseva, afirst-round loser in qualifying at all four majors last season.

Both matches were played under closed roofs of showcasecourts as light rain delayed the start of play at MelbourneParkfor 90 minutes.

Australian Alicia Molik began proving that her comebackafter a 2005 illness is for real as she advanced into the third round over KaiaKanepi of Estoniaafter a slow start 1-6, 6-3, 6-2.

James Blake, winner of last weekend's Sydney event, moved ahead into the third roundwith a defeat of Russian-American Alex Kuznetsov 6-4, 6-1, 6-2.

As is his tradition, Blake will not be shaving until heloses at the event.