Agassi edges Squillari to set up Grosjean clash

Andre Agassi defused Franco Squillari's explosive groundstrokes on the way to a 4-6 6-2 6-4 1-6 6-0 victory on Monday that took him into the French Open quarter-finals.

The American third seed and 1999 Roland Garros champion will next meet local favourite and 10th seed Sebastien Grosjean, who crushed Spain's Galo Blanco in straight sets.

Roger Federer beat Australian Wayne Arthurs 3-6 6-3 6-4 6-2, putting a Swiss player in the quarter-finals of a men's Grand Slam for only the fifth time.

Federer's, whose last-eight appearance will be the first by a Swiss man since Marc Rosset in 1996, is to meet the winner of the remaining fourth-round match between Alex Corretja and Fabrice Santoro.

Agassi was initially outplayed by 16th-seeded Squillari, a semifinalist at Roland Garros 12 months ago, as the left-handed Argentine repeatedly whipped powerful forehands past his stranded opponent.

The American quickly reasserted control, though, reeling off the second and third sets with ease.

Although Squillari hit back to level the match, Agassi's return of serve proved decisive in the fifth set as the 31-year-old Las Vegan raced into the last eight at Roland Garros for the seventh time.

"He really brought it to me," Agassi said. "I had to be at my best out there. He was hitting the ball so hard, with so much power."

FIRST BLOOD

Earlier, France drew first blood against Spain as Grosjean beat Blanco 6-3 6-4 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals for the first time.

The Spanish will get their chance of revenge, though, when 13th seed Corretja takes on the unseeded Santoro.

Sixth seed Lleyton Hewitt completed the biggest comeback of his career to clinch a 3-6 6-7 6-2 6-3 6-3 victory over Argentine Guillermo Canas and reach the last eight.

In a match held over from Sunday because of bad light, Hewitt needed just three games on a sun-baked Court Suzanne Lenglen to book a meeting with Spanish fourth seed Juan Carlos Ferrero.

COMFORTABLE WIN

Grosjean, in his fifth Roland Garros campaign, took the first two sets in 92 minutes and raced into a 4-0 lead with two breaks in the third.

Blanco, who beat fifth seed Pete Sampras in the second round and was enjoying his best French Open since reaching the 1997 quarter-finals, briefly held up his opponent's charge, but Grosjean duly completed a comfortable win.

"At the end of the second set I think he kind of gave up, so I quickly found myself two breaks up and the end of the match was a formality," said Grosjean, who had never previously been beyond the third round at Roland Garros.

"My goal is to make it to the (end of season) Masters and to do that you have to play well in the Grand Slams."

Right-hander Federer, who claimed his first career title in Milan earlier this season, began slowly when Arthurs broke his opening serve and went on to take the first set.

But it was the 20-year-old Swiss who broke the lanky Australian at the first opportunity in each of the next three sets to win the contest between two unseeded players.

"I feel much better this year," Federer said. "I beat (Marat) Safin in Rome and that gave me confidence. "Mentally, I started to relax on the court which has made things easier."