Blisters Smooth Way for Half-day Agassi

France's Sébastien Grosjean, who is based in Boca Raton, Florida, will be the next man to try to take the ageing but still dancing feet from under the 32-year-old Andre Agassi, whose progress towards his fourth Australian Open final becomes more compelling after every round.

Yesterday the American No2 seed's energy levels were preserved to the full here when the Argentinian Guillermo Coria, trailing 6-1, 3-1, retired with blisters, while Grosjean endured a gruelling five-setter against Spain's Felix Mantilla.

Agassi, despite being thankful for needing only half a day's work, was not impressed by Coria's excuses. "I could sit at home and watch all my opponents default. That's great and I'll have the trophy. But it's not what we are here for. You always want to play and you always want to finish."

It appeared that Coria, 21, was beaten before he began. In 2001 he shot up the rankings to the top 30 but then failed a drugs test and was suspended, and his progress has stalled. Blisters can obviously be extremely painful but they rarely warrant retirement. There was much shrugging, gesticulating and apologising from Coria, but his excuses appeared pretty feeble.

By pulling out, he became the eighth man to retire during this year's tournament, a figure which excludes the withdrawal of Russia's Marat Safin at the start of the day with a wrist injury. The record number of retirements in any grand slam is nine, in last year's US Open, and that mark now looks threatened.

"Tennis is becoming too physical and everyone is getting injured. We play too much," said Safin. It is an old cry, echoed down the years, and one that neither the players nor the authorities have ever done much to resolve, mainly because the sport is driven by money.

Agassi's longevity owes much to a career containing fallow periods which have enabled him to recharge and regroup. Currently he appears as fresh as a daisy, and it is hard to imagine Grosjean, for all his stickability, ending the run.

That said, the Frenchman has won two of their four meetings. "Sébastien is a phenomenally talented player who is one of the best shot-makers in the game," said Agassi. "His strengths are his movement, his forehand and a very good first serve. It's going to be tough."