MELBOURNE - U.S. open champion Patrick Rafter lost the sharp edge on his serve and volley game at crucial moments and fell to tenacious baseliner Alberto Berasategui in the third round of the Australian open Saturday. U.S. open runner-up Greg Rusedski also went out, losing to Australian Todd Woodbridge, leaving only four of the 16 men's seeds surviving going into the round of 16.

Rafter looked in control after a service break in the second set's first game, but lost the break and then let three set points slip away in the Tiebreak on his way to losing 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (9-7), 6-2, 7-6 (7-4). The last set was his eighth Tiebreak in three matches that kept him on court a total of nearly 10 hours.

His first two opponents, Jeff Tarango and Todd Martin, both had predicted he might burn out. The result spoiled a rematch between Rafter and Andre Agassi, one of his victims at the U.S. open. Everyone thought it was going to be Agassi and Rafter. I'm sorry, said Berasategui. Berasategui, who nearly camped in his backhand corner and hammered forehands in all directions, gained back the second-set break in the eighth game with help from two Rafter double faults.

Rafter gained two set points at 6-4 in the tiebreak when Berasategui hit a forehand long after Rafter had fallen while lunging to make a crosscourt volley. But Rafter lost those and one later either by missing volleys or failing to put them away. Berasategui broke for 6-5 in the final set, was broken back, and wrapped up the nearly 3-hour match with a lob right on the baseline and more misses by Rafter, who had 77 unforced errors to 46 by Berasategui. (AP)