Agassi, Federer in quarters

Fourth seed Roger Federer hit a speed bump on Monday before accelerating into the last 16 of the $3.25 million Nasdaq-100 Open. The Swiss pl...

Fourth seed Roger Federer hit a speed bump on Monday before accelerating into the last 16 of the $3.25 million Nasdaq-100 Open. The Swiss player was joined in the fourth round by second seed Andre Agassi, who cruised past Finn Jarkko Nieminen 6-2, 6-0, and ninth-seeded Spaniard Albert Costa.

Federer dropped the second set to Juan Ignacio Chela but bounced back to defeat the Argentine 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 and line up a clash with 14th-seeded Dutchman Sjeng Schalken on Tuesday. The world number four did not concede a set on his way to last year’s final, which he lost to Agassi. Federer has now won 23 matches on tour this year, more than any other player.

Schalken will need to reproduce the form that carried him to the U.S. Open semi-finals last year if he is to progress further in the hardcourt event. He beat Argentina’s Franco Squillari 6-4, 7-5 in his third-round match.

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Earlier, Mark Philippoussis dug into his reserves of stamina to see off a determined challenge by Swede Thomas Enqvist. The unseeded Australian won a marathon 2 1/2 hour encounter 6-7, 7-6, 6-3 to set up a showdown with Agassi, the world No.2 who is seeking his third successive title here. Philippoussis struck 23 aces on his way to victory over Enqvist and used his trademark booming serve to full effect, winning 83 percent of his first-serve points.

Australian Open champion Agassi has already beaten Philippoussis once this year, on his way to the San Jose title last month. The American put an ice pack on his injured right shoulder after brushing Nieminen aside but said the move was only precautionary.

Agassi missed the Indian Wells tournament after suffering nerve problems in his shoulder three weeks ago in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he lost to Enqvist. The five times Miami champion said he did not feel any reaction during the match against Nieminen but put the ice pack on just in case. The early eliminations of top seed Lleyton Hewitt and third seed Juan Carlos Ferrero have enhanced Agassi’s chances of another title at one of his favourite tournaments.

Number 19 seed Younes El Aynaoui also reached the fourth round by beating Argentine David Nalbandian, who reached the 2002 Wimbledon final. The Moroccan, who won 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, will contest a quarter-final place with Ecuador’s Nicolas Lapentti, who put out South African Wayne Ferreira 6-4, 6-2. (Reuters)