MELBOURNE, Australia -- Andre Agassi bunted, blocked and even hit baseline winners off his shoelaces to fend off Nicolas Escude in the third round of the Australian Open.

Escude attacked Agassi's serve and rushed to the net 65 times. The Frenchman hit 60 winners and had 20 breakpoint chances, but still ended up falling 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Friday.

"My experience in these Grand Slam tournaments is you need to play well at the right time,'' said Agassi, a three-time Australian Open winner. "Today was a day that was pretty dangerous for me. ... It was a question of playing the big points well.

"I thought Nicolas was hitting the ball really well, timing it superbly on the returns, putting me under a lot of pressure. So it's good to get through.''

The second-seeded Agassi, riding a 17-match winning streak in the event, will face Argentina's Guillermo Coria in the fourth round. Coria beat Finland's Jarkko Nieminen 7-5, 6-2, 6-2.

Against Escude, Agassi held his ground in the back court, saving 16 break points and frustrating the Frenchman into 44 unforced errors before finishing him off with a strong forehand winner down the line on his second match point.

"I was down many break points throughout the whole third set. I felt like it was love-30 or 15-40 every time I went to the baseline to serve,'' Agassi said. "I hit a few good shots down breakpoint, bustled, he made a few errors.''

Escude wasted six break points in the ninth game of the third set.

"All you can have after a match like that is regrets,'' Escude said. "When I think of the number of chances I didn't take, it was a catastrophe.

"I take no satisfaction from that kind of match, just an enormous feeling of frustration. I've never been so close to beating him and I've never felt so bad after.''

Felix Mantilla eliminated French Open champion Albert Costa, seeded eighth, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 in an all-Spanish duel.

Another Spaniard, fourth-seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero, beat France's Fabrice Santoro 4-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5.

South Africa's Wayne Ferreira rallied to beat American Mardy Fish 2-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-0; No. 12 Sebastien Grosjean of France defeated Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador 6-1, 6-3, 6-3; Mario Ancic, the 18-year-old Croatian who is the youngest player remaining, beat Australia's Peter Luczak 2-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-2; and Sargis Sargsian ousted Australian Mark Philippoussis 5-7, 7-5, 6-0, 6-4.