Hewitt slips up

Younes El Aynaoui guaranteed a new face in next Sunday's Australian Open men's tennis final when he dumped tournament favourite Lleyton Hewitt out of the race on Monday.

The 31-year-old late-blooming Moroccan, armed with an impenetrable service and ferocious forehand, caused the biggest upset in the men's tournament with a gripping 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 win over the world number one.

With Hewitt's passing went Australia's remaining chance of ending a 27-year home title drought.

El Aynaoui now tackles 20-year-old American Andy Roddick in Wednesday's quarterfinals, with in-form German Rainer Schuettler taking on either Wimbledon finalist David Nalbandian or Swiss sixth seed Roger Federer in another quarterfinal.

None of these players have played in an Australian Open final with three-time champion Andre Agassi the hot favourite to come through to the tournament decider from the bottom half of the draw.

El Aynaoui, the tournament 18th seed, broke Hewitt's service just once, in the seventh game of the fourth set, but decisively won two of the three set tiebreakers in the gripping 3hr 30min match.

Only last September, Hewitt knocked out El Aynaoui in the quarterfinals of the US Open in New York in four sets, but he gained sweet revenge on the Australian's home patch on Monday.

"I served well the whole way. That's the most difficult thing for me to keep a very high level of play during four or maybe five sets," said El Aynaoui, whose serve was not broken in 23 games.

"And today I did it. Lleyton helped me a little bit. I don't think he played his best today. I saw I had a chance and I took the opportunity."

El Aynaoui said although his win might be considered an upset by most people, he believed he had a chance to beat Hewitt on Monday. "I beat him once in Indianapolis and at the US Open last year I had some set points in the second set," he said.

"I knew I had my chances. I knew he could roll very fast. I wanted to hold my serve and that's what I did in the first and second set. I knew I had a chance and I took it."

Roddick recovered from two sets down to unravel Russia's Davis Cup hero Mikhail Youzhny and win a five-set marathon.

The ninth-seeded Roddick won 6-7 (4/7), 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-2, only his second career five-set victory as the 20-year-old Muscovite disintegrated.

"I was a little frustrated but I didn't let it get the best of me today," Roddick said.

"Even when I was down, I still felt I had a chance and I was feeling really good in the fifth set, probably the best I've felt in the fourth or fifth set before.

"It feels good to know that the work I've done has paid off somewhat."

Roddick looked headed for the exit door when Youzhny worked his way to a two sets to love lead in trying hot conditions.

But Roddick finished the stronger reeling off the closing three sets against the tiring Russian.

Schuettler claimed his first Grand Slam quarterfinal with a commanding victory over rising young American James Blake.

The 31st-seeded German swept to a 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 victory in 1hr 55min to lock up a place in the last eight.

Schuettler made the fourth round at the 2001 Australian Open where he lost to Carlos Moya, but his court movement and retrieving were too much for the highly-rated 23rd seed Blake.

"The older you get, the more you just enjoy the game and the more you appreciate what you have around you," said 26-year-old Schuettler, playing in his 10th season on the circuit.

"I mean, it's really a great life. It's a perfect life. Right now, I just enjoy staying on the court and playing the tennis."

Schuettler has begun 2003 in fine form, reaching the semifinals of the leadup Sydney International and progressing through four rounds, including his walkover in the third round from Marat Safin, who pulled out of the tournament with a wrist injury.