Pat Rafter progressed to the quarter-finals with a convincing four set win over Russian teenager Mikhail Youzhny at Wimbledon this afternoon. The Australian third seed triumphed 2-6 6-3 6-2 7-5 on the 'graveyard' Court Number Two, and survived a disastrous first set reversal to earn a meeting with Swedish 10th seed Thomas Enqvist, who earlier ended the hopes of Argentine Guillermo Canas, winning 6-3 6-3 6-1.
Last year's beaten finalist took 2hr 20mins as the Russian raced to the first set, but Rafter regained the initiative to take the second 6-3. In the third set he was even more impressive as he cranked up his serve and volley game, and although Youzhny gave it everything in the fourth set, Rafter held on to earn his place in the last eight.
Meanwhile, Croatia's Goran Ivanisevic has just won the battle of the big servers, beating Britain's Greg Rusedski 7-6 6-4 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals. Ivanisevic, three times a runner-up here, now plays Russian fourth seed Marat Safin for a place in the semis.
Elsewhere, second seed Andre Agassi reached the quarter-finals following his comprehensive defeat of 19th seed Nicolas Kiefer of Germany 6-3 7-5 7-5. The 1992 champion's march to the quarter-finals sees him yet to lose a set and the 31-year-old was in inspired form this evening to confirm his status as favourite following the dramatic exit of compatriot Pete Sampras.
Agassi will now meet Nicolas Escude of France for a place in the semi-finals, following his surprise win over Lleyton Hewitt. Agassi's power and precision proved too much for 23-year-old Kiefer, whose best performance here was a quarter-finalist in 1997.
Filed by Shane Murray
