Agassi survives French Open marathon
Associated Press
PARIS — Andre Agassi's day was already off to an annoying start when several young spectators shrieked throughout a rally he lost with a missed backhand.
Associated Press
Agassi glared toward the noisy section in the upper deck, where some fans were oblivious to tennis etiquette and overcome with joie de vivre.
Andre Agassi nearly lost his cool in a five-set victory over Franco Squillari in the fourth round of the French Open in Paris.
"Come on!" he shouted. "Shut up!"
The kids did, aside from perhaps joining the cheers for Agassi as he beat Franco Squillari, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 1-6, 6-0, in the fourth round at the French Open yesterday.
In the midst of a typically grueling clay-court duel, Agassi could be forgiven for his uncharacteristic outburst. For three hours both players wore tracks behind the baseline. But because Agassi is in the best shape of his life at 31, he found a higher gear in the final set just as his 25-year-old foe faded.
That made the victory encouraging for the third-seeded Agassi, seeking his second consecutive Grand Slam title. He won the Australian Open in January and believes he's finding his footing on clay at just the right time.
"I feel like I'm dancing out there, and it's nice," he said. "For me, this was an opportunity to bring out my game and step it up."
Associated Press
Agassi remains favored to reach his fourth French final. In tomorrow's quarterfinals he'll play No. 10 Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean, who advanced by beating Galo Blanco, 6-3, 6-4, 6-1.
Australia's Lleyton Hewitt finished off his match, which stretched over two days.
Swiss 19-year-old Roger Federer earned his first quarterfinal berth at a major event by beating Wayne Arthurs, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. Federer will face No. 13 Alex Corretja, who eliminated France's Fabrice Santoro, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4.
No. 6 Lleyton Hewitt completed a 3-6, 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 comeback victory over Guillermo Canas that took 4 hours, 12 minutes over two days. The final three games were played yesterday after darkness forced the match to be suspended Sunday.
"It's like a 100-meter sprint to the finish," Hewitt said.
Hewitt plays No. 4 Juan Carlos Ferrero today, and No. 1 Gustavo Kuerten faces No. 7 Yevgeny Kafelnikov. That foursome will provide one finalist, with Agassi in the other half of the draw.
All four women's quarterfinals are today, highlighted by a showdown between No. 4 Jennifer Capriati and No. 6 Serena Williams.
