On Monday, it was Haas who outlasted No. 18 Ginepri 7-6 (1), 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, 7-6 (1), breaking a personal seven-match losing streak in five-setters and eliminating one of the final three Americans left in the year's last Grand Slam.

``I was thinking about it actually, that I haven't won a five-set match for a long time,'' the 14th-seeded German said. ``Put a little pressure on me.''

The long match was nothing new to Ginepri. Five of his last seven at the U.S. Open have gone five sets, including an Open-era record four in a row last year. He beat Haas before losing a five-setter in the 2005 semifinals to Andre Agassi.

With his loss, 2003 champion Andy Roddick and No. 5 James Blake are the lone Americans remaining in the draw. Roddick was to play Benjamin Becker, who knocked out Andre Agassi, later Monday.

The biggest showdown Monday was at night: Serena Williams, the former No. 1 and two-time Open champion, versus current No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo, who's won two Grand Slam titles this year. Others in action were Maria Sharapova, Marat Safin and Lleyton Hewitt.

Second-seeded Rafael Nadal easily advanced to his first U.S. Open quarter-final appearance with a 6-1, 7-6 (3), 6-4 victory over Czech Jiri Novak. Russian Mikhail Youzhny beat sixth-seeded Tommy Robredo of Spain 6-2, 6-0, 6-1.

On the women's side, second-seeded Justine Henin-Hardenne made quick work of Shahar Peer, dispatching the Israeli 6-1, 6-0 in 50 minutes in the fourth round. Sixth-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova, however, lost to Jelena Jankovic 6-7 (5) 6-3, 6-2.

Kuznetsova hasn't had much success at Flushing Meadows since becoming the first Russian woman to win the singles title in 2004. Last year, she became the first defending women's champion to lose in the first round.

``I would love to repeat it one day, but it's no pressure anymore,'' said Kuznetsova, who had 46 unforced errors. ``I still believe I can do well here.''

Elena Dementieva, the 2004 runner-up, reached the quarter-finals this year by eliminating Aravane Rezai of France 7-5, 6-4.

Jankovic, who beat No. 9 Nicole Vaidisova in the third round, reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. Her previous best showing was getting to the fourth round at Wimbledon this year, when she knocked out Venus Williams.

Henin-Hardenne, with five major titles on her resume including this year's French Open, is bidding to make her fourth straight Grand Slam final. She will face the winner of Monday's match between Lindsay Davenport and Patty Schnyder in the quarter-finals.

``I walked on the court thinking that it could be a dangerous match because she's a young player and she has a lot of motivation,'' the Belgian said. ``That's probably why I won it pretty easily, because I was ready for it.''

Such went the early action on the first day of the post-Agassi era at the Open.

Agassi couldn't conjure any more magic in his 21st consecutive Open, an event he won in 1994 and 1999. His ailing back _ and Becker, a 112th-ranked German qualifier 11 years his junior _ wouldn't let him. Agassi lost 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-5 in the third round Sunday of an event that was the first major he played, and now the last.

Following the loss, Agassi coaxed himself into his courtside chair and buried his face in a towel. Then he looked up through tear-filled eyes at the more than 20,000 people standing and cheering him in Arthur Ashe Stadium, a tribute that lasted four minutes.

Agassi rose and moved to the centre of the court for a second round of bows and kisses to the four sides of the arena, gingerly bending his back.

``I was sitting there realizing that I was saying goodbye to everybody out there, and they were saying goodbye to me,'' the 36-year-old Agassi said. ``It's saying goodbye.

``It's a necessary evil but we were getting through it together. That felt amazing.''

The various versions of Agassi _ the rebel with the long hair and Day-Glo outfits, the elder statesman, the 141st-ranked guy playing in tennis' minor leagues, the owner of a career Grand Slam, the husband of Steffi Graf and father of two _ were in the minds of all Sunday at the U.S. Open, when his playing days ended.

``We all dream about a career like he had,'' top-ranked Roger Federer said.

That's why, for Agassi and the fans, the outcome truly did not matter all that much. The day and the tournament were all about saying goodbye to an eight-time major champion who grew up in front of the world.