LOS ANGELES (Ticker) - American Andre Agassi hopes career win No. 801 comes a lot easier than No. 800 when he faces Julien Bennetau of France in the second round of the $380,000 Mercedes-Benz Cup on Thursday night.
The 34-year-old Agassi, the top seed, became the sixth male player to record 800 career victories with a 6-3, 6-1 triumph over fellow American Alex Bogomolov Jr. on Tuesday - his first win since March at the NASDAQ in Miami.
Agassi had dropped his last four matches, losing in the first round of the last three. He also has been suffering from inflammation in his right hip. The winner of Agassi's match with Benneteau will face the survivor of the contest between German Tommy Haas and Kenneth Carlsen of Denmark in the quarterfinals.
Earlier Thursday, South African Welsey Moodie upset fifth seed Sjeng Schalken of the Netherlands, 7-6 (7-5), 2-6, 7-5. Moodie's quarterfinal opponent at the first hardcourt summer event leading up to next month's U.S. Open will be the winner of the match later Thursday between second seed Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand and American wild card Jeff Morrison.