Agassi, Thai Fighter Set QF Meeting at ATP Los Angeles

Agassi bruised fellow American Kevin Kim 6-2, 7-5, following a 26-minute first set by jumping to a 3-0 lead in the second, then dousing a comeback from Kim.

"He stepped up in the second," Agasssi said. "The quality overall picked up and I felt he was making me earn it...Kevin is talented and a great ball striker. He moves well, but sometimes takes some unnecessary risks."

Agassi will next face the unseeded Paradorn Srichaphan, who rolled over American (WC) Paul Goldstein 6-1, 6-4.

Two other unseeded players progressed into the quarterfinals when Luxembourg's Gilles Muller beat American qualifier Zach Fleishman 6-3, 7-5, and last week's Indianapolis winner Robby Ginepri outlasted American countryman and wildcard James Blake 6-3, 7-6(2).

"He's such an athlete and such a tremendous hustler, it's always tough playing James and you never know what to expect from him," Ginepri said. "You think the points over but you have to win it six times out there."

Lining up for the Friday quarterfinals are (1) Agassi vs. Paradorn "The Thai Fighter" Srichaphan, Ricardo Mello "Yello" vs. (2) Dominik "The Dominator" Hrbaty, Muller vs. Robby "Baby Courier" Ginepri, and Xavier "X-Man" Malisse vs. Juan Ignacio "The Spitting Snake" Chela.