Agassi lives on the edge to fashion amazing fightback

The allure of Andre Agassi. Put him on Centre Court against Todd Martin, one of the biggest servers in world tennis. Make him double fault to go 5-2 down in the fifth set. Break his fingers, cut the strings on his racquet and blow-torch his feet. Then ask him to make it good.

It was as though Agassi's girlfriend Steffi Graf stepped down from the bleachers and wound a spring in his back. Upbeat, nerveless, running to his chair at the breaks, living life on the edge of the third round, Agassi rode out the adrenalin rush and the pressure.

It took 11 games, the facing down of two match points and a breathless display of control to convert a 5-2 disadvantage into a 10-8 fifth-set victory. The set took 70 minutes.

For the 6ft 6in Martin the defeat was more than a touch ignominious and close to a repeat of the 1996 semi-final against MaliVai Washington where he was 5-1 up in the fifth set and collapsed 10-8.

"I needed a little help from him at 5-2 down," said Agassi. "You certainly have to have the mentality of executing your game when you don't have a lot of hope. You need a little bit of luck, too."

Martin, a reflective player, was at odds to explain how he wilted so badly. "I'll plainly admit or profess that I'm not as gifted as some of these guys," he said, picking out Agassi for particular mention. "It's necessary to be thoughtful out there. For sure there were points where I got tight and those were critical points," he said.

"The tide can turn very quickly. I gave an inch and he took a little bit more. I plainly admit that."

Agassi was forced to come into the match a break down in the fourth set after rain had washed out play on Thursday evening. Having given tournament referee Alan Mills a tongue-lashing for making them play in drizzling rain, the covers were finally pulled when Agassi spilled to the ground on a sharp turn.

The incident resurrected the issue of Wimbledon's penchant for starting play at 2.00 p.m. A lot of the players wonder why, when the weather and light are sometimes a consideration, they are still hitting when the birds are roosting.

"I would advocate, since the sun comes up at about 3.0 a.m. in the morning here, maybe start before 2.0 p.m.," said Martin.

Court 18 provided an interesting conflict, as Olivier Rochus, at 19 the youngest player in the men's singles, faced Gianluca Pozzi, who at 35 is the oldest.

Belgian qualifier Rochus, who at 5ft 4in is possibly the smallest player on the tour, failed to claim the fourth-round pay cheque of £33,400, with the veteran going through 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2.

Pete Sampras, who was scheduled to limp onto Centre Court to face unseeded Justin Gimelstob, in the last match of the day was the principal winner as the rain fell.

The favourite gained an extra day's rest for his foot, which is receiving intensive treatment for tendonitis.

By reaching the third round Gimbelstob has achieved his best Wimbledon effort and matched his best Grand Slam tournament result.