Agassi survives the French rapier

There are many exceptionally talented players in the world capable of playing incredible matches, and Andre Agassi knew well that there was danger lurking in the lean and hungry shape of Nicolas Escudé. For it was in this stadium in 2001, on a specially laid grass court, that the Frenchman stunned the Australians by defeating Lleyton Hewitt in the final of the Davis Cup, thereby setting up a shock victory for France.

"You stick a competitor's heart and mind in a guy that has potential, and anything can happen," said Agassi, who knew he had to dampen Escudé's competitive edge as quickly as possible to prevent the Frenchman from igniting and burning through his own defences. Agassi succeeded, winning 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to reach tomorrow's fourth round, but there were anxious moments in the third set for the No2 seed which his next opponent, the 21-year-old Argentinian Guillermo Coria, will have noted.

Coria was suspended at this time last year having failed a drugs test, although he argued that the drug entered his body in a food supplement. His 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Finland's Jarkko Nieminen put him into the last 16 of a grand slam for the first time. "He's very quick, and if you give someone like that a chance to play his shots he can be pretty dangerous," said Agassi.

This was certainly so in Escudé's case. If anything, he tried to go for a fraction too many winners, and Agassi demonstrated again what a fine defensive player he can be. Escudé was a semi-finalist here in 1998, when he was 21. He has never gone as far in a slam since, and these days is likely to cause the occasional big upset rather than challenge for major honours.

In the third set Escudé had point after point to ram home an advantage based on a whipped double-fisted backhand of ferocious power, coupled with complete dominance at the net. "That third set was pretty fortunate for me all the way around. He's the sort of player that lives and dies by the sword," said Agassi. "It's a risky play, and you just have to hope that he's going to miss more than he gets in." So it proved.

Agassi, a triple champion here, is in the easier half of the draw, hence the growing feeling that an eighth grand slam title is in his grasp at the ripe old age of 32. Against that, he has now gone six slams without a title, and some doubt he can last a fortnight of such intense competition.

Agassi said: "I definitely en joy winning more now. What makes a difference in the slams is having a good day when you need it, and getting through a tough day when things might not feel that well. Right now I feel real good."

It was certainly a tough day for the No4 seed, Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain, who took five sets to defeat France's Fabrice Santoro, that frustrating purveyor of the unorthodox. Two other five-set winners were Felix Mantilla, who beat the French Open champion Albert Costa, and South Africa's Wayne Ferreira, 31, who came from two sets down against the American Mardy Fish.

With Goran Ivanisevic poised to return to the circuit after a shoulder operation, Croatia appears to have another future grand slam champion in the 18-year-old Mario Ancic, who is coached by the Dutchman Sven Groeneveld, who formerly worked with Greg Rusedski.

Ancic, who beat Roger Federer at Wimbledon last year, reached the last 32 in only his third slam with a 2-6, 7-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over the Australian wild card Peter Luczac. But the most unlikely player to reach the fourth round was Sargis Sargsian, who knocked out Mark Philippoussis, returning after injury.