Ageless Agassi advances to quarters

NEW YORK - Pretty impressive for an old guy. Heck, pretty impressive for a guy any age.

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Andre Agassi became the fourth man over 35 and the first in 14 years to make the U.S. Open quarterfinals Monday, outlasting Xavier Malisse 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 4-6, 6-2. Two points from a straight-sets win, Agassi couldn't find answers when Malisse cranked up the intensity and evened the match.

"I was a bit discouraged there in the fourth. As hard as I was wanting to try, there's not a lot you can do when you're just not getting into the points," Agassi said. "Physically, I felt great. I just needed a chance. I didn't get that until the fifth.

"I was going to make him earn it," Agassi added. "He was going to have to play another great set."

With the adoring Open crowd chanting his name, Agassi regained energy in the fifth set. He broke Malisse, then stunned the Belgian with three aces in a row - two 120 mph-plus - to lead 5-2.

"Even a blind dog can find a bone now and then," Agassi said, chuckling.

Agassi wasn't the only veteran to advance Monday. Lindsay Davenport, the 1998 champion, made it to the quarterfinals for the 11th time in 12 events this year with a 6-0, 6-3 romp over France's Nathalie Dechy.

Davenport next plays sixth-seeded Elena Dementieva, last year's runner-up, who beat No. 11 Patty Schnyder in straight sets.

Agassi grabbed two quick points on Malisse's serve, then capped the afternoon with another solid backhand. The Belgian had to lunge for it and drove it long, setting off raucous cheers in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Agassi took off his hat, and pumped his fists at the crowd.

"It felt great," said Agassi, who is playing in his 20th straight Open. "It means a lot more than the 19th and a lot less than the 21st."

He's the first "senior citizen" to get this far since Jimmy Connors made his run to the semifinals as a 39-year-old in 1991. Next up could be James Blake, who called Agassi "a legend" a few days ago, if the younger American can get by 19th-seeded Tommy Robredo.

Bald head, creaky back and two toddlers aside, Agassi isn't your average 35-year-old. He's reached the quarterfinals or beyond at all but two events this year, including all of his hard-court tournaments. After a herniated disc in his back shot pain down his right leg at the French Open, leading to a first-round loss and his absence from Wimbledon, he won his first tournament on his return in Los Angeles.

Two weeks later, he reached the finals in Montreal before losing to No. 2 Rafael Nadal.

And now he's making a run at the Open. With wife Steffi Graf and son Jaden watching, Agassi took an early lead against Malisse, who he'd beaten in straight sets in their previous four meetings.

"I need to get that first set so I can get my beliefs up," Malisse said. "Next time I'll have that confidence."

Agassi seemed to slow in the third. After putting Malisse on his heels with powerful backhands from the baseline and sneaky drop shots, Agassi suddenly looked tired. Instead of sprinting for shots, he began letting them go by, making everyone wonder if he was having back trouble.

He forced a tiebreaker and jumped to a 5-3 lead. But Malisse won the next four points to take the set - and Agassi's momentum.

"It's not like in basketball, where you run out the clock and somebody throws up a half-court shot that happens to go in and rips your heart out," Agassi said. "This is a guy that's forcing me to close him out.... He deserved that set, and outplayed me in the fourth."

For the first time, Malisse was dictating the action. He pounded ace after ace by Agassi - he served 26 in all - and had 36 winners in the third and fourth sets.

But Agassi isn't ready for the senior circuit yet. After holding serve to take a 2-1 lead in the fifth, he broke Malisse and the momentum was his again.

"When I got on top," Agassi said, "I think the wheels came off quickly."

Davenport is trying to reach her third Grand Slam final of the year, and the 29-year-old American has dropped only 18 games in four matches.

"Today was the best match I've played since Wimbledon, I think, even including New Haven," said Davenport, who won that Open tuneup two weeks ago. "It's the kind of tennis I want to play. I'm really happy to be in the quarters and doing well again at another Grand Slam. It's a tricky matchup no matter who I play... but I'm just going to hopefully stay on the roll I've tried to get going."

Eighth-seeded Guillermo Coria of Argentina outlasted Nicolas Massu of Chile 6-4, 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-2, in a match that lasted 4 hours, 32 minutes and featured plenty of trash-talking. During one changeover, an official even stood between the two as they yapped at each other from their chairs.

Justine Henin-Hardenne played Mary Pierce in a rematch of the French Open final in a night match at Arthur Ashe Stadium, while American Robby Ginepri took on France's Richard Gasquet.