Twenty-seven-year-old Costa, a champion here in 1995, 1998 and 1999 as well as a finalist last year, became increasingly frustrated as his forehands flew far and wide or into the net.
Corretja, best man at Costa’s wedding last month, next plays Argentine sixth seed Gaston Gaudio who beat Nicolas Massu in the day’s first quarterfinal.
Gaudio, losing finalist to Corretja at Gstaad two weeks ago, kept his nerve to notch up a 6-4 6-3 victory over Chile’s Nicolas Massu.
Gaudio, winner of the Barcelona and Mallorca Opens this year, was locked in a fierce baseline battle in the first set and seemed set to run away with the second set after winning six games in a row to lead 4-0.
But unseeded Massu, who won the Buenos Aires Open earlier this year, staged a comeback on the clay at this Tyrolean resort before eventually bowing out.
Results (prefix number denotes seeding)
QUARTERFINALS: 8-Alex Corretja (Spain) beat 1-Albert Costa (Spain) 6-1 6-2; 6-Gaston Gaudio (Argentina) beat Nicolas Massu (Chile) 6-4 6-3
LOS ANGELES: Defending champion Andre Agassi cruised past fellow American Robby Ginepri 6-3, 6-1 to advance to the quarterfinals of the 400,000 dollar ATP hardcourt event here Thursday.
The win moves the 32-year-old Agassi one step closer to his third Los Angeles title. His previous victories came in 1998 and last year.
Agassi barely broke a sweat in disposing of the 19-year-old Ginepri in just 54 minutes.
He booked a quarterfinal date with Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil in a rematch of last year’s semi-final. Agassi won that match 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 6-3 before going on to beat Pete Sampras in the final.
Fifth seeded Kuerten rolled over Martin Lee of Great Britain 7-5, 7-6 (7/5). Kuerten, who is trying to recover from hip surgery, has only played five tournaments on the ATP circuit since undergoing the operation in February.
In other action Thursday, Nicolas Kiefer beat American Alex Bogomolov 6-3, 6-3.
Bogomolov played the role of giant killer by eliminating Haas 6-4, 6-4, in the opening round Tuesday and Kiefer said it was his patriotic duty to avenge the loss.
Kiefer will next face American Jan-Michael Gambill, who beat Israel’s Noam Okun 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 to advance.
The Gambill-Kiefer winner will face either American Andy Roddick or Belgium’s Xavier Malisse for a spot in the final.
Kiefer, 25, broke Bogomolov’s serve twice in the first set and showed no effects of the wrist injuries he has suffered over the past two seasons that have slowed his progress.
Results:
SECOND ROUND: Andre Agassi (USA x2) bt Robby Ginepri (USA) 6-3, 6-1; Gustavo Kuerten (Bra x5) bt Martin Lee (Gbr) 7-5, 7-6 (7/5); Nicolas Kiefer (Ger) bt Alex Bogomolov jnr (USA) 6-3, 6-3; Jan-Michael Gambill (USA) bt Noam Okun (Isr) 7-6 (7/2), 6-2.—Reuters/AFP