Asafa Powell (right) is comfortable en route to victory during the quarter-finals of the men's 100m at the JAAA/SVL National Senior Championships. - File

THE stage is set for today's expected fierce battle in the men's 100 metres final as following Round One action last night the top athletes have thrown down the gauntlet with some quality running after advancing to the semi-final round, which will get under way at 7:25 p.m today.

World number two Steve Mullings set the pace in heat one as running in a negative wind speed of 1.3 metres per second he stopped the clock at 10.13 seconds. Nesta Carter replied immediately as he won in 10.05 seconds.

work overtime

But Asafa Powell looked the most impressive in heat III running in a positive 2.7 metres per second, as he ran for some fifty metres before jogging the remainder of the way to win in 9.99 seconds. In the final heat, which was contested in a strong tailwind of 3.6 metres per second, Yohan Blake had to work overtime to nip a fast starting Michael Frater to win in 9.83 seconds to Frater's 9.86 seconds.

Kaliese Spencer, who is favourite to win the women's 400 metres hurdles, advanced as the fastest qualifier in the first round of the women's 400 metres heats, as she captured her heat in a quick 50.86 seconds to get the better of the Racers pair of Davita Prendegast ( 51.47) and Shereefa Lloyd (52.01) seconds.

Other heat winners were defending champion Novlene Williams-Mills and Rosemarie Whyte. Williams-Mills won heat One in 52.07, ahead of Shericka Williams in 52.48 seconds. Whyte took heat II in 51.98 seconds, ahead of Natoya Goule (52.23) and Patricia Hall (52.48). The semi-finals for this event will take place on Saturday at 7:15 p.m.

There were also five heats in the men's 400 metres where big favourite for the event Jermaine Gonzales was the fastest qualifier for Saturday's next round after winning heat one in 45.61, ahead of Lansford Spence of Sprint Tech in 45.82. Racers Allodin Fotthergill took heat II in 45.98 with Leford Green second in 46.04. heat 111 was won by Oral Thompson in 45.69 seconds as Edino Steele of Racers won heat 1V in 46.05 and Dwayne Barrett took heat V in 46.57 seconds.

In the first session of men's 400 metres Hurdles, veteran Danny McFarlane advanced as the fastest quailfier for today's final at 8:30 p.m after winning the first heat in 49.59 seconds to get the better of Isa Phillips (49.70) and Roxroy Cato who was third in 49.99 seconds.