Unseeded Ferreira shocks Ferrero

Unseeded Wayne Ferreira continued his improbable run at the Australian Open by beating fourth seed Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-6 7-6 6-1 to reach his first grand slam semi-final in 11 years.

The 31-year-old South African, who reached the last four in Melbourne in 1992, used his experience to take the first set tiebreak 7-4, and Ferreira twice fought back from a break down to force another tiebreak in the second set at Rod Laver Arena.

Ferreira took the second on his third set point with a mid-court forehand, after which it was one-way traffic as Ferrero's game fell to pieces.

The Spaniard lost the first four games of the third set and Ferreira, renowned for some astonishing five-set victories in Melbournedown the years, ran out an easy winner in two hours 11 minutes.

He next faces second seed Andre Agassi in the semi-finals.

Earlier, Agassi warned he was on a revenge mission at the Australian Open after powering past Sebastien Grosjean - 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 - and into the semi-finals.

The second seed, bidding to become the first overseas player to win the men's singles title four times, said he was still haunted by the memory of missing last year's tournament because of a wrist injury.

"I was certainly nervous and excited to be back here. But then it also reminds me that it was such a lost opportunity last year, so it is bittersweet," he admitted.

But Agassi, winner here in 1995, 2000 and 2001 and chasing an eighth grand slam title, said he was delighted to have come through unscathed against Grosjean, a player who has given him problems in the past.

"Getting through it is the first priority, but getting through it with fuel in your tank would be the second," he said.

"That's where I feel it's been a good tournament for me up to now. I haven't spent any useless energy, unnecessary energy."

Agassi has dropped just one set in five matches, and needed only a set and a half against Guillermo Coria in the fourth round after the Argentine retired with blister trouble.

Asked if he thought he would benefit more from a five-set match, Agassi replied: "No, I don't prefer a five-setter. I prefer to win in straight sets, ideally 6-0, 6-0, 6-0."

The world No2, who lost just one game against South Korean Lee Hyung-taik in the second round, has never been seriously threatened since, showing exceptional levels of fitness in the sapping Melbourne heat.

"Somebody getting tired against me is really only a function of me working hard myself. And you hope they're working harder than you," he said.

"My goal was to make Grosjean play something very special to win."

Grosjean, no slouch around the court himself, never had a sniff against the American, who dominated proceedings from the back of the court.

But even in the absence of world No1 Lleyton Hewitt, who was knocked out of the tournament yesterday, Agassi is refusing to count any chickens.

"I have one person on my mind now, and that's Wayne Ferreira. It's really as simple as that for me," he explained, looking forward to the semi-finals.