SAN JOSE,(California), Feb 14: America’s Andre Agassi lost just four points on his serve, and won five service games at love to defeat Australia’s Mark Philippoussis 6-4, 6-1 in the second round of the Siebel Open on Thursday.

The top-seeded Agassi, a four-time champion in this event, improved to 9-0 this year and 5-1 in his career against Philippoussis.

Agassi has only been broken once in his past six matches, going back to the fourth round of the Australian Open which he won last month.

It was another night of near-perfect tennis for Agassi, on the top of his game at age 32 _ when many of his American childhood rivals are planning to retire.

Philippoussis, a wild-card entry and two-time winner of this event, double faulted three times in a game twice in the second set.

Earlier, James Blake of the United States claimed a second round 6-3, 6-2 win over South Korea’s Hyung-Taik Lee.

Blake, the No. 3 seed hit 64 per cent of his first serves and had nine aces.

Ranked 24th in the world, Blake believes he is starting to do the things that could help him eventually join the world’s top players.

Vincent Spadea of the United States defeated fourth-seeded countryman Jan-Michael Gambill 6-3, 6-3 for his fourth win of the year.

Spadea has reached the quarterfinals of a U.S. tournament for the first time since making the final in Indianapolis in August 1999. And Thursday’s victory comes after a bout with the chicken pox following the Australian Open.

Gambill, who played in the semifinals here the past two years, committed 31 unforced errors and hit only 49 percent of his first serves. Spadea broke Gambill’s serve in four of his six chances.

Also on Thursday, eighth-seeded Kenneth Carlsen of Denmark held off American qualifier Paul Goldstein 6-2, 3-6, 7-5, and Russia’s Nikolay Davydenko eliminated Robby Ginepri of the United States 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Italian No. 6 seed Davide Sanguinetti defeated American Mardy Fish 7-6 (1), 7-5. Fish had 47 unforced errors.

Justin Gimelstob defeated fellow American Zack Fleishman 6-1, 6-4.

RESULTS: (2nd round): Andre Agassi bt Mark Philippoussis 6-4, 6-1; Kenneth Carlsen bt Paul Goldstein 6-2, 3-6, 7-5; Vicent Spadea bt Jan-Michael Gambill 6-3, 6-3; Nikolay Davydenko bt Robby Ginepri 6-4, 3-6, 6-3; James Blake bt Hyung-Taik Lee 6-3, 6-2; Davide Sanguinetti bt Mardy Fish 7-6 (7/1), 7-5; Justin Gimelstob bt Zack Fleishman 6-1, 6-4.—AP/AFP