New York ? With each flowing forehand, each biting serve, Gustavo Kuerten looked less and less like the unseeded player he is and more and more like the Grand Slam champion he has been.

Marat Safin did little to slow the transformation.

In a matchup that, judging by names and accomplishments alone, belongs in the latter stages of a major tournament rather than merely the second round, Kuerten dominated No. 2-seeded Safin 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 Friday at the U.S. Open.

“Maybe today is my happiest day of the year,” three-time French Open champion Kuerten said. “I feel I have nothing to lose.”

“He’s hungry,” Safin said of his foe who is battling back from a hip injury. “He wants to come back. He wants to win matches.”

Pete Sampras played about as well as he has all season in a 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 victory over Kristian Pless.

Serena Williams moved into the fourth round by dismissing No. 26 Nathalie Dechy 6-1, 6-1. Williams wore a pink top zipped up from the bottom, revealing a dangling belly ring. She plays No. 20 Daja Bedanova for a quarterfinal berth.

No. 4 Lindsay Davenport advanced to the round of 16, as did No. 8 Justine Henin.