MONICA SELES spent a little more time at the office in Melbourne yesterday but the outcome was the same - another straight sets win to fuel her charge for a fourth Australian Open title.

Alter occupying the centre court for a total of 98 minutes and dropping just five games in her two earlier canters, top seed Seles was kept in action for 58 minutes by Julie Halard Decugis of France before booking her passage into the last 16 stage.

Seles, back as if nothing has changed since her recovery from an on court stabbing in Hamburg in April 1993, slugged it out with 37th ranked Halard Decugis before romping through the second set to win 7-5, 6-0. Her next opponent is Japan's 15th seed Naoko Sawamatsu.

Seles, rumbling relentlessly towards an anticipated place in the final on January 27th, said she had displayed her best form against Halard since her arrival in Australia.

One of the highlights of her victory was a tremendous running pick up of a Halard drop shot on the first point of the fifth game of the second set.

I couldn't believe that shot I ran down ... that was probably one of my best gets ever, I would say," she proclaimed afterwards.

It was plain sailing elsewhere, with third seed Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Gabriela Sabatini (six), Iva Majoli (seven) and number 13 Chanda Rubin all breezing home in straight sets in quick time.

While Seles was made to work up more of a sweat, the men lost two seeds - Todd Martin bowed out to Swede Jonas Bjorkman and injury again stopped Dutchman Richard Krajicek.

Martin, the 15th seed who walked away more than 5800.006 richer by finishing runner up to Goran Ivanisevic in last month's Grand Slam Cup in Munich, was tipped out in a five setter, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 in 173 minutes.

French qualifier Jean Philippe Fleurian found himself in the fourth round after 90 minutes when 11th seeded Krajicek withdrew with a lower back injury when the score was 4-6 6-3, 2-2.

Third seed Thomas Muster had a fright when he twisted an ankle in the second set before regrouping, to bat, Swedish qualifier Nicklas Kulti, 6-4,7-6 (11-9), 6-4.

Muster's fightback win over the 155 ranked qualifier took two hours, 22 minutes and keeps the Austrian alive in what is looking like a solid chase for a possible world number one ranking at the end of the fortnight. Muster will now play Swede Mikaei Tillstrom, who turned back Patrick McEnroe in four sets.

Andre Agassi was in a feisty mood after his win over the 225th ranked American qualifier Steve Bryan, calling reporters at his press conference "sons of bitches."

The defending champion, stung by dropping the opening set, proceeded to punish Bryan, 4-6, 6-0, 6-2, 6-1 in 114 minutes in a third round match on centre court. He will play Sweden's Jonas Bjorkman in the fourth round.

Agassi was astonished when reporters sought appraisal of his form after being taken to four sets.

"God, you guys are rough, man I thought I played well," Agassi bristled. "After the first set it was all up . . . did you see something different?

"I'm still in the tournament and you sons of bitches will question me all the way to the final."

Eighth seed Jim Courier duelled with Australian Davis Cup player Todd Woodbridge for 91 minutes before sealing a fluctuating five set victory, 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 8-6 in a match that finished at 1.15 am. Courier, who won on his fourth match point, will now take on South African Marcos Ondruska.

Fifth seed Michael Chang maintained his unruffled progress, winning in straight sets against Frenchman Guillaume Raoux.