SYDNEY, Australia (AP) _ Michael Bennett, boxing in open competition for only two years, had the will, but he couldn't find the way to beat vaunted Cuban heavyweight Felix Savon, who took another step toward a third Olympic boxing gold medal.

The 6-foot Bennett, of Chicago, who has fewer than 50 bouts in open competition since being released from prison in 1998, landed some hard rights. But the 6-6 Cuban veteran was able to spear the American with hard, long-range blows to the head and stop him on the 15-point rule (23-8) in the third round of a 201-pound match Tuesday.

"I didn't think I was 15 points down," Bennett said. "I did feel like I hurt him because I have the power, just like most heavyweights have the power, to end a bout with one punch."

The size and experience, however, were lacking.

"I came out, I was healthy and I did my very best. I can't be anything but pleased with myself," he said.

The 33-year-old Savon, who also has won six world championships, will box in Thursday's semifinals.

"He's been a true warrior throughout the years," Bennett said of Savon, who did not meet with media after the match.

Earlier, Jeff Lacy's bid to become the first American to reach the semifinals fell far short when he was stopped by a Russian opponent in the third round.

The 23-year-old Lacy of St. Petersburg, Fla., showed virtually nothing in being stopped by Gaidarbek Gaidarbekov on the 15-point rule (18-3) in the third round. Gaidarbekov became the fourth Russian to advance to the semifinals.

Boxers in the semifinals are assured of at least a bronze medal.

The 29-year-old Bennett, who served seven years in prison for armed robbery, said he wouldn't be intimidated by Savon, and he wasn't. He simply was outmatched.

When Bennett got inside Savon's reach, he landed some solid shots, but he took punishment on the way in. Savon led 7-2 after one round and 17-6 after two.

Bennett, trailing 19-7 in the third round, landed two hard rights to the head, but they were his finals scoring blows.

Savon is trying to equal the record of Lazlo Papp of Hungary and Teofilio Stevenson of Cuba. Papp won gold medals at 165 pounds in 1948 and at 156 pounds in the 1952-56. Stevenson won heavyweight championships in 1972-76-80. Americans did not compete in the 1980 Olympics at Moscow.

The hard-punching Lacy didn't land a scoring blow until there was 1:22 left in the second round. By then he was behind 6-1. It just got worse for Lacy, who registered all three of his scoring blows in the second round.

"There was nothing wrong with me," Lacy said. "This guy was just a very good boxer. The main thing I wanted to do was make it here."

The last American boxer to win an Olympic heavyweight title was Ray Mercer at Seoul in 1988. Those games were boycotted by Cuba.

The first Cuban to reach the semifinals was Mario Kindelan, who stopped Tigkran Ouzlian of Greece on the 15-point rule (24-9) in the fourth round of a 132-pound bout.

It was Rafael Lozano of Spain, boxing in his third Olympics, who became the first semifinalist. Lozano, a bronze medal winner in 1996, outscored Suleiman Bilali of Kenya 6-2 in the third round for a 10-6 lead, then he held on for an 11-10 victory at 106 pounds.

His semifinal opponent will be Kim Un-Chol, the only North Korean in the tournament, who beat Ivan Stapovic of Lithunia 22-10.

(Copyright 2000 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)