PARIS -- Andre Agassi improved to 10-0 in major events this year by beating No. 26 Xavier Malisse 6-4, 7-5, 7-5 on Friday at the French Open. The stylish Malisse lost despite hitting 13 aces and 55 winners.

"He's a great player to watch,'' Agassi said. "Sometimes the problem is you watch him while you're playing him and you're not watching the ball. ... Three sets is a lot better than five, and it could have gone five pretty easily today.''

At 33, Agassi's the tournament's oldest entrant. And just like a year ago, he's the only U.S. man in the round of 16.

No. 29 Vince Spadea was the 12th American man to lose, eliminated by unseeded Dutchman Martin Verkerk 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 7-5. Spadea's exit wasn't surprising: He lost to Verkerk at the Italian Open this month, has zero tournament titles and is best known for a 21-match losing streak in 1999-00.

He did, however, reach the semifinals on clay at Monte Carlo in April.

"It doesn't say great things for American clay-court tennis if I'm one of the leading players,'' Spadea said. "I'm not trying to discourage or to criticize. I'm just saying that it's competitive out there.''

He and No. 26 Malisse were among five seeded men knocked out. The others: No. 22 Wayne Ferreira, No. 23 Younes El Aynaoui, and No. 31 Juan Ignacio Chela, who lost to 1998 champion Carlos Moya 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3.

Moya was treated for foot blisters as the temperature topped 85. Health always is a factor at majors, where a player must win seven matches, and Williams offered advice to deal with the heat: "If you stay focused, you don't have to stay out as long.''

Ferreira left on a stretcher after injuring his groin while trailing Australian Open finalist Rainer Schuettler.

Chasing a forehand, Ferreira slipped, did the splits, and collapsed. Schuettler grabbed some ice and carried it over to the South African, in his 50th consecutive major.

Galo Blanco also quit with a groin injury. That meant Flavio Saretta, a Brazilian ranked 78th, will face Agassi.