Moya Upset Again by Puerta at ATP Acapulco

For the second time in three weeks, Spaniard Carlos Moya is checking out of his hotel room early after a loss at the hands of wildcard veteran Mariano Puerta.

The Argentine defeated the defending-champion Spaniard 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 Wednesday at Acapulco on the heels of his upset performance two weeks ago in Buenos Aires.

"Mariano played great today and I had only a few chances to control the game," said a succinct Moya after the match. "I did not take them and I ended up losing."

Other seeded players into the quarters were (3) Guillermo Canas (d. (Q) Devilder), (5) Jiri Novak (d. O.Hernandez), (6) Filippo Volandri (d. A.Martin), and (8) Rafael "The Prodigy" Nadal (d. Spanish countryman Ventura).

"I am feeling really good this week and my goal is to win the event as I did two years ago," Canas said. "I still have the bad feeling from last year when I lost first round. It is true that I came late from Brazil after the final in (Costa Do) Sauipe, but this year I came a bit earlier and I had the time to get use to the conditions."

No. 7 seed Dave Ferrer was upset by Spanish countryman Felix Mantilla, who was joined in the quarters by another unseeded Spaniard in Al Montanes (d. Zib 15-13 in the second-set tiebreak), and unseeded Gaucho Agustin Calleri (d. Monaco).

Playing in the dirt Thursday in the quarterfinal line-up are (5) Novak vs. Calleri, (WC) Puerta vs. Mantilla, (3) Canas vs. (8) The Prodigy, and (6) Volandri vs. Montanes.

"I am not playing at my best," said The Prodigy, who assessed his chances in the next round against Canas. "I am going to have to play at my best since he is 11 in the world, playing at his best and we all know he is a very tough opponent. I am sure it is going to be a very exciting match."