Escude matched Agassi for power

The entertainment continued and it was the Frenchman who stunned the enthralled number one court audience with a convincing 7-3 tie-break win.

"He's a very dangerous player who hits the ball early and he has an under-rated serve which he's quick to get in behind," Agassi said of Escude.

"I started by returning well but I didn't find a rhythm on my serve and I let him into the set and he played a great tie-breaker," the American added of the first set.

"I improved my serve but I didn't make him play as much in the second set although when I started to make him play I got a few misses at the right time."

Escude received extensive treatment to a left thigh problem that he picked up in his five set win over Lleyton Hewitt in the fourth round.

Agassi credited his "experience" in coping with the long delay before Escude resumed seemingly untroubled as both players exchanged more heavy blows for much of the second set.

Agassi eventually ground down his opponent, breaking him in the eighth game of the set to take a 5-3 lead and completed the comeback one game later with a stunning forehand winner.

The third went much the same way, as the 24th seed, who had never made it past the second round before, always troubled Agassi with his persistent serve-and-volley game.

But again Agassi chipped away at his younger challenger breaking him once to close it out 6-4.

Pouncing to victory

He even had the audacity to get in on the act of serve and volleying to complete the set - incredibly, it was his only volley winner of the whole match.

Whether it was his thigh problem, or the aggression and effort needed to keep up with his opponent, but Escude visibly tired in the fourth.

Agassi pounced and broke him twice to clinch the win, as Escude's service return went wide.

But it is to the credit of Escude that the crowd began cheering the Frenchman's winners towards the latter stages of the match.

He lost the battle but won many new friends.

The Australian Rafter now stands in the way of Agassi having the chance to regain his Wimbledon crown he won in 1992.