Roddick, Agassi Lead 5 Former No. 1s into MS-Cincinnati Quarters

Posted on August 6, 2004

Five former No. 1s advanced into the eight quarterfinal spots at the Masters Series-Cincinnati Thursday, again led by homecountry fan favorites defending champ (2)Andy Roddick (d. (15)Paradorn "The Thai Fighter" Srichaphan) and (11)Andre Agassi (d. (17)Chela).

"I don't think (Srichaphan) had a good day," Roddick said after not facing a break point. "He didn't show what a good player he really is. He definitely had one of those off-days."

The erratic Chela looked to Babolat Agassi into submission, but the American survived an almost un-watchably ugly confrontation in the night match-up.

Also surviving were former top-spotters (4)Carlos Moya (d. (LL)Arthurs 7-6 in the third), (10)Lleyton Hewitt (d. (5)Henman), and (14)Marat Safin (d. "Dr." Ivo Karlovic in three).

"I'm happy, not with the way I'm playing, but the way I'm surviving," said Moya, who won his third consecutive three-setter.

Un-seeds into the quarterfinals were Fabrice "The Original Wizard" Santoro (d. Bjorkman), Spaniard Tommy Robredo (d. (Q)Rusedski in two tiebreaks), and (WC)Tommy Haas (d. Soderling in three).

On today for the quarterfinals are (2)Roddick vs. (WC)Haas (German leads career meetings 4-0), (4)Moya vs. (11)Agassi in a battle of former No. 1s (Agassi leads 2-1), (10)Hewitt vs. (14)Safin in a battle of former No. 1s (tied 4-4), and The Original Wizard vs. Robredo in an all-unseeded (Robredo leads 3-0).

The doubles quarters will be (3)Knowles/Nestor vs. the "Indian Express" (8)Bhupathi/Paes, (1)Bjorkman/Woodbridge vs. Chileans Gonzalez/Massu, Max "The Beast" Mirnyi/Sargsian vs. Erlich/Ram, and Frenchmen (4)Llodra/Santoro vs. Palmer/Vizner.