Top seed Roger Federer and four-time champion Andre Agassi advanced to an Australian Open quarter-final showdown here on Sunday as Russia's women marched on relentlessly. World number one Federer stretched his unbeaten streak to 25 matches with a straight sets defeat of Cypriot qualifier Marcos Baghdatis, winning an entertaining game 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) on the Rod Laver Arena.
Federer's victory helped set up a mouth-watering quarter-final on Tuesday with eighth seeded Agassi, who came from a set down to beat Swedish 11th seed Joachim Johansson in a fierce contest.
Agassi, at 34 the oldest man in the field, drew on all his experience and formidable reserves of stamina to outfox the big-serving Johansson 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/3), 6-4.
A closely fought contest was settled by Agassi in the tie-breaks, the American veteran and eight-time grand slam winner showing more composure than Johansson on the big points.
Federer said he was looking forward to playing Agassi - and said he has the tools to beat the evergreen American.
Agassi, meanwhile, is relishing the prospect of pitting his wits against the world's best player.
In other men's matches, Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia easily downed Sweden's other entrant in the last 16, Thomas Johansson, winning 7-5, 6-3, 6-1.
Hrbaty will now play Russian fourth seed Marat Safin in the last eight. Safin overcame an error-strewn performance to down Belgium's Olivier Rochus in 4-6, 7-6 (7/1), 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/2) in a gruelling 3hr 42min contest.
Week one drew to a close with Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela being fined 2,000 US dollars for un-sports-man like conduct during his ill-tempered battle with Lleyton Hewitt on Saturday.
Chela, who was beaten 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 by Hewitt, appeared to spit at the pugnacious Australian third seed as tempers boiled over.
Chela's offence went unpunished at the time but tournament referee Peter Bellenger sprang into action on Sunday as front-page newspaper photos showed the Argentine aiming a mouthful of saliva at Hewitt.
In the women's draw on Sunday, US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and Wimbledon queen Maria Sharapova of Russia both reached the last eight in contrasting fashion as favourite Serena Williams progressed.
Kuznetsova, whose first week was overshadowed by an off-the-court doping controversy following a positive test for the stimulant ephedrine at an exhibition event in Belgium, defeated fellow-Russian Vera Douchevina 6-4, 6-2.
Kuznetsova will now play Sharapova in the quarter-finals on Tuesday after the teenage starlet came through in three energy-sapping sets to defeat Italian 15th seed Silvia Farina Elia 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
Farina Elia, at 32 some 15 years Sharapova's senior, played superbly to stun her young opponent by taking the first set but ran out of steam.
Williams was also given a scare in her match with Russian 11th seed Nadia Petrova but held on for an unconvincing 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 win to advance to a meeting with world number two Amelie Mauresmo of France.
RESULTS (x denotes seeding):
Women's singles (4th round):
Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x5) bt Vera Douchevina (RUS) 6-4, 6-2; Amelie Mauresmo (FRA x2) bt Evgenia Linetskaya (RUS) 6-2, 6-4; Maria Sharapova (RUS x4) bt Silvia Farina Elia (ITA x15) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2; Serena Williams (USA x7) bt Nadia Petrova (RUS x11) 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.
Men's singles (4th round): Roger Federer (SWI x1) bt Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4); Dominik Hrbaty (SVK x20) bt Thomas Johansson (SWE x30) 7-5, 6-3, 6-1; Andre Agassi (USA x8) bt Joachim Johansson (SWE x11) 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/3), 6-4.
Marat Safin (RUS x4) bt Olivier Rochus (BEL) 4-6, 7-6 (7/1), 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/2)
Women's doubles (3rd round): Anastasia Myskina (RUS)/Vera Zvonareva (RUS x7) bt Li Ting (CHN)/Sun Tiantian (CHN x10) 6-1, 7-5; Jennifer Russell (USA)/Mara Santaangelo (ITA) bt Elena Dementieva (RUS)/Ai Sugiyama (JPN x8) 6-4, 6-4; Lindsay Davenport (USA)/Corina Morariu (USA x15) bt Eva Birnerova (CZE)/Andreea Vanc (ROM) 6-2, 6-2; Daniela Hantuchova (SVK)/Martina Navratilova (USA) bt Shinobu Asagoe (JPN)/Katarina Srebotnik (SLO x14) 6-4, 6-4; Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)/Alicia Molik (AUS x6) bt Milagros Sequera (VEN)/Meilen Tu (USA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Men's doubles (3rd round): Wayne Black (ZIM)/Kevin Ullyett (ZIM x5) bt Alex Calatrava (SPA)/David Ferrer (SPA) 7-6 (7/2), 6-2; Bob Bryan (USA)/Mike Bryan (USA x2) bt Jonathan Erlich (ISR)/Andy Ram (ISR x13) 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (10/8); Jurgen Melzer (AUT)/Alexander Waske (GER) bt Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE)/Takao Suzuki (JPN) 7-5, 7-6 (7/3); James Blake (USA)/Mardy Fish (USA) bt Karol Beck (SVK)/Sargis Sargsian (ARM) 6-3, 6-4; Mahesh Bhupathi (IND)/Todd Woodbridge (AUS x3) bt Albert Costa (SPA)/Rafael Nadal (AUS) 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4.
Mixed doubles (1st round): Andy Ram (ISR)/Conchita Martinez (SPA) bt Sebastian Prieto (ARG)/Gisela Dulko (ARG) 5-7, 7-6 (10/8), 7-6 (10/6); Rick Leach (USA)/Virgina Ruano Pascual (SPA) bt Jonathan Erlich (ISR)/Sun Tiantian (CHN) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4); Scott Draper (AUS)/Samantha Stosur (AUS) bt Mark Knowles (BAH)/Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) 6-3, 7-6 (7/2); Kevin Ullyett (ZIM)/Liezel Huber (RSA x4) bt Todd Perry (AUS)/Milagros Sequera (VEN) 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (10/5); Wayne Arthurs (AUS)/Trudi Musgrave (AUS) bt Chris Haggard (RSA)/Meilen Tu (USA) 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (10/4); Frantisek Cermak (CZE)/Katarina Srebotnik (SLO) bt Simon Aspelin (SWE)/Yan Zi (CHN) 6-3, 6-4; Wayne Black (ZIM)/Cara Black (ZIM x2) bt Peter Luczak (AUS)/Jaslyn Hewitt (AUS) 6-2, 6-3
(Second round):Max Mirnyi (BLR)/Martina Navratilova (USA x7) bt Pavel Vizner (CZE)/Nicole Pratt (AUS) walkover.
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