08 September 2004	Wednesday	22 Rajab 1425

NEW YORK, Sept 7: Nadia Petrova provided further evidence of the growing Russian strength in women's tennis when she defeated world number one Justine Henin-Hardenne 6-3, 6-2 in the fourth round of the US Open on Monday.

While Andre Agassi, Tim Henman and Lindsay Davenport made it a good day for the veterans by reaching the quarterfinals, the real drama came under the night lights as 14th seed Petrova, yet to win a WTA Tour singles title, knocked out the top seed.

The 22-year-old Petrova now plays fellow countrywoman Svetlana Kuznetsova, the ninth seed. Russia has three players in the last eight, with Elena Dementieva their other quarterfinalist.

Anastasia Myskina became the first Russian woman to lift a Grand Slam singles title when she won the French Open in June. Maria Sharapova then made it back-to-back Russian victories when she triumphed at Wimbledon in July.

Earlier on Monday, 34-year-old Agassi set up a mouth-watering clash with men's world number one Roger Federer by trouncing Armenian Sargis Sargsian 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. Australian Open and Wimbledon champion Federer, looking to become the first man since Sweden's Mats Wilander in 1988 to win three Grand Slams in the same year, received an unexpected day off when 16th seed Andrei Pavel pulled out with a herniated disc in his lower back.

When fifth seed Tim Henman woke up with a stiff back 10 days ago, the Briton did not think he would be able to play his first-round tie. But, after surviving five-set battles against Ivo Karlovic and Michal Tabara, Henman celebrated his 30th birthday with a gutsy victory over Germany's Nicolas Kiefer.

The Briton looked in trouble when he trailed by a set and 3-1 but stormed back to win 10 games in succession to lead by two sets to one. Kiefer snatched the fourth set but Henman was on top in the decider, leading 6-7, 6-3, 6-1, 6-7, 3-0 when the German retired with a suspected tendon injury to his right wrist.

Henman will meet 22nd seed Dominik Hrbaty for a place in the semifinals after the Slovakian came from two sets down to beat Belgian Olivier Rochus 2-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-0.

Fifth seed Davenport, 28, with four WTA Tour titles under her belt since her semifinal defeat by Sharapova at Wimbledon, edged out Williams 7-5, 6-4 in a repeat of the 2000 US Open final won by Venus.

Venus, seeded 11th, made 42 unforced errors before Davenport clinched victory on her fifth match point to reach the quarterfinals for the eighth year in succession.

Davenport will now play Japan's Shinobu Asagoe, the last unseeded player, who reached her first grand slam quarter-final with a 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 win over Greece's Eleni Daniilidou. Kuznetsova reached the last eight for the first time when she ended the run of twice former grand slam champion Mary Pierce, 7-6, 6-2.

MONDAY'S RESULTS (PREFIX NUMBER DENOTES SEEDING):

MEN'S SINGLES:

FOURTH ROUND: 6-Andre Agassi (US) beat Sargis Sargsian (Armenia) 6-3, 6-2, 6-2; 22-Dominik Hrbaty (Slovakia) beat Olivier Rochus (Belgium) 2-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-0; 1-Roger Federer (Switzerland beat 16-Andrei Pavel (Romania)- walkover; 5-Tim Henman (Britain) beat 19-Nicolas Kiefer 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-1, 6-7 (4-7), 3-0 -- retired.

WOMEN'S SINGLES:

FOURTH ROUND: 14-Nadia Petrova (Russia) beat 1-Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium) 6-3, 6-2; 9-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat 27-Mary Pierce (France) 7-6 (7-5), 6-2; 5-Lindsay Davenport (US) beat 11-Venus Williams (US) 7-5, 6-4; Shinobu Asagoe (Japan) beat 29-Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-3. -Reuters