Associated Press

Houston, April 22:

Second-seeded Andre Agassi rallied from a loss in the first set to beat Alex Calatrava 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 and advance to the quarter-finals of the US Men’s Clay Court Championships. Agassi appeared to have the match under control when he broke the Spaniard in the sixth game of the third set and took a 4-2 lead. But his serve failed him in the next game as he double-faulted twice and was broken. Calatrava held in the eighth game and pulled even at 4-4 by serving a love game. Agassi finally got the victory in the 12th game. He hit a backhand down the line for a winner to force the second match point and followed with another backhand to the same corner. Agassi will next face France’s Sebastien Grosjean who beat Oscar Hernandez of Spain 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. Defending champion Tommy Haas of Germany will play Jurgen Melzer of Austria and top-seeded Andy Roddick will meet Luis Horna of Peru in other quarter-finals. In a second-round match, James Blake fell behind 2-4 in the opening set and then won 10 of 11 games to oust Antony Dupuis of France, 6-4, 6-1. Blake will meet Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador in quarter-finals.

Open Seat Godo

BARCELONA: Third-seeded Carlos Moya and No 4 Guillermo Coria were upset in the third round of the Open Seat Godo. Moya lost to Max Mirnyi 6-4, 6-4, while Coria was beaten by Argentine countryman Agustin Calleri 6-4, 6-7, 7-6. Second-seeded Gaston Gaudio advanced to the quarter-finals, however, topping 13th-seeded David Ferrer 6-3, 6-4. Monte Carlo Masters champion Rafael Nadal also advanced to the last eight, beating Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia 6-1, 6-2. Juan Carlos Ferrero and Radek Stepanek also advanced. Ferrero defeated Alberto Martin 6-1, 6-2, and Stepanek topped Guillermo Canas 6-7, 7-6, 7-6. In late matches, seventh-seeded Nikolay Davydenko eliminated Thomas Johansson 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, and Stanislas Wawrinka beat Jose Acasuso 6-3, 6-4.