LONDON: A new name will be engraved on the Wimbledon men's singles trophy this year after Andre Agassi, the last former champion in the draw, suffered a shattering five-set defeat by Australian Mark Philippoussis on Monday.

Unseeded Philippoussis unleashed an astonishing 46 aces, equalling the all-time Wimbledon record for a single match, to beat the second seed and world number one 6-3, 2-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 in a fourth-round epic on court one.

"To finally get him and the way it happened, I'm just very pleased," said the Australian, who had lost his previous six matches against Agassi.

Agassi says he will be back to play at Wimbledon next year, once again looking for a second title at the age of 34.

"Why shouldn't I be back. I'm a tennis player. My plan is to be back next year," Agassi said.

Philippoussis' victory ruined an otherwise superb day for the Americans. Andy Roddick sealed his quarter-final place and the four leading American women, Serena and Venus Williams, Lindsay Davenport and Jennifer Capriati, all swept through to the last eight after a rain-delayed start to the day.

Philippoussis, ranked 48, equalled Goran Ivanisevic's 1997 serving record at the All England Club to leave 33-year-old Agassi forlorn and exhausted after the best match so far of the men's draw.

Philippoussis next plays German Alexander Popp, who beat Belgium's Olivier Rochus 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

Roddick convincingly saw off 12th-seed Thai Paradorn Srichaphan 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Swiss fourth seed Roger Federer beat Spain's Feliciano Lopez 7-6, 6-4, 6-4 despite plaing through back pain after injuring himself warming up. His quarter-final opponent is Dutch eighth seed Sjeng Schalken, who ousted Australian Open runner-up Rainer Schuettler of Germany in three sets.

British hopes of a first home men's winner since 1936 remained alive after Tim Henman defeated last year's runner-up, Argentine David Nalbandian, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5, 6-3, to reach the quarter-finals for the seventh time in eight years.

Henman will now play either Spanish third seed Juan Carlos Ferrero or Frenchman Sebastian Grosjean. Grosjean led 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 when play was stopped due to bad light.

Russian woes

Russia suffered as four of their five women lost, including shrieking 16-year-old wild card Maria Sharapova, but Belgian duo Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters moved through to the quarter-finals as expected.

The six favourites for the women's crown - the American quartet plus Henin and Clijsters - again had an easy time of it.

Not one of them has dropped a set in the tournament so far.

Serena out-clubbed Russian Elena Dementieva 6-2, 6-2 on Centre Court and will next face Capriati, seeded eighth, after she demolished Anastasia Myskina 6-2, 6-3.

Fourth seed Venus, the 2000 and 2001 Wimbledon champion, avenged her French Open defeat by Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-1, 6-3 to set up another all-American quarter-final against fifth seeded Davenport.

French Open champion Henin outclassed Frenchwoman Mary Pierce 6-3, 6-3 to set up a quarter-final with Wimbledon debutante Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia. Kuznetsova defeated Sharapova 6-1, 2-6, 7-5.

Confident Clijsters, the second seed, humbled her doubles partner Ai Sugiyama of Japan 6-3, 6-2.

Agencies via Xinhua

(China Daily 07/02/2003 page8)