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Spanish flavour runs strong in last 16 of French Open
Paris, Jun 01: Spain led the way into the last 16 of the men`s singles with five players making it into the fourth round.
Title-holder Albert Costa, tournament favourites Juan Carlos Fererro and Carlos Moya, Lleyton Hewitt's conquerer Tommy Robredo and Hamburg Masters winner Felix Mantilla all went through.
They now form a formidable wall of claycourt expertise that second-seed Andre Agassi will have to knock down if he is to win his second crown in Paris and make it halfway to a clean sweep of the 2003 grand slams.
And with only Ferrero and Mantilla drawn against each other, there could be four Spaniards in the quarter-finals.
Their great Argentine rivals have fared less well with only fancied seventh-seed Guillermo Coria and Mariano Zabaleta sure of their places. And they will play each other for a place in the last eight.
Argentina's other remaining representative Gaston Gaudio is locked in a third round battle with Gustavo Kuerten which was held over after the light faded with the Brazilian two sets ahead.
In contrast Agassi is the sole American survivor and bantamweight Arnaud Clement is alone to carry the French flag into the second week.
Two unseeded players have made it through - giant Dutch man Martin Verkerk and Brazilian newcomer Flavio Saretta who may be joined later by his compatriot and three-times former winner Kuerten.
Bureau Report