Paris, Jun 02: Andre Agassi and Carlos Moya, both former champions, joined newcomer Martin Verkerk in the quarter-finals of the French Open men's singles yesterday while three-time champion Gustavo Kuerten progressed into the last 16.
Agassi, the US second seed and 1999 titlist, whipped unseeded Brazilian Flavio Saretta 6-2 6-1 7-5, advancing on his sixth match point.
The 33-year-old Agassi, watched by wife and six-time women's champion Steffi Graf, defied some late stubborn resistance from Saretta to win in just 1hr 43min.
He now meets either Argentine seventh seed Guillermo Coria or another Argentine in Mariano Zabaleta. Coria led 6-4 7-6 (7/4) 5-7 when bad light brought a halt to the proceedings.
Spanish fourth seed Moya, winner in 1998, banged down 13 aces in scoring a 7-5 6-3 6-2 win over Czech 13th seed Jiri Novak and now faces new 'kid' on the block Verkerk, an unseeded 24-year-old Dutchman who had never won a grand slam encounter until this event.



Verkerk blasted past Australian Open finalist and 11th seed Rainer Schuttler of Germany 6-3 6-3 7-5.



Kuerten, who lifted the trophy in 1997, 2000 and 2001, made it into the last 16 after finishing off his third-round match with Argentine 21st seed Gaston Gaudio, whom he dispatched 7-6 (7/1) 7-5 5-7 6-3, the contest having been halted at 3-3 in the third set overnight for bad weather and fading light.


Bureau Report