PARIS -- When it was over, after he had defeated the three-time French Open champion, Tommy Robredo fell to his knees, leaned back and held his head in his hands.

	Tommy Robredo has something to celebrate after taking out three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten.

Growing up, he watched his fellow Spaniards -- Alex Corretja, Carlos Moya, Albert Costa and, more recently, Juan Carlos Ferrero -- push their way through the draw at the French Open. And now, for the first time in his nascent Grand Slam career he, too, was a quarterfinalist. Robredo is one of four Spaniards in the quarters -- a first.

On Monday, he took out no less a player than Gustavo Kuerten, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4.

How did he feel when he hit the dirt?

"I think it's very tough to describe, no?" Robredo said. "I'm coming here in this Roland Garros, beating Hewitt two days ago and now playing against Guga. I was very nervous. After the match I was very excited, no, because when you win a match in all of this nervous, it's nice, no?"

Yes.

Pardon Robredo if he's a little overcome, but beating the No. 1 player in the world (Hewitt) and the three-time champion left him a little breathless. Next up? The defending champion and countryman, Alex Costa, in the quarterfinals.

Robredo, who turned 21 a month ago, is the youngest man left in the tournament. Except for a few brief flashes, Kuerten was not his joyful, lively self. There were whispers that his back was bothering him; perhaps sensing this, Robredo kept drop-shotting Kuerten -- a trick he learned from Spanish buddy Albert Portas. Kuerten never managed to solve the strategy.

	“	He's believing in himself. He's turning around and going for shots and making the shots. You know, he used to play well normally. So in a week like this, that you get yourself going and with more confidence, normally you will play in the best level. ”
		— Gustavo Kuerten on Tommy Robredo

Using a thunderous forehand to stifle Kuerten's creative game, in the first set, Kuerten had an easy shot to go up 4-0 but missed it. "By losing that game," Kuerten said later, "then he coming back and winning the first set. I think that really change around a lot."

Predictably, Kuerten, who won the tournament in 1997, 2000 and 2001, rallied. He won the second set with such ease that it looked like he'd roll to a four-set victory.

But after reaching a third-set tiebreaker, Kuerten quailed. He managed only two of nine points from Robredo.

Microcosmic moment: Trailing 3-5 in the final set, Kuerten flicked an almost laconic drop shot that Robredo ran down and sent past Kuerten with a forehand volley. Although Kuerten hung on to win the game, he was oddly out of fuel. He tried desperately to break Robredo, who served for the match at 5-4. Kuerten saved two match points, but a drop shot and one last massive forehand sent him home.

"He's believing in himself. He's turning around and going for shots and making the shots," Kuerten said. "You know, he used to play well normally. So in a week like this, that you get yourself going and with more confidence, normally you will play in the best level." Does Robredo remind him of the 20-year-old Kuerten who broke through here six years ago?

"No," Kuerten said, laughing, "I think the hair is a lot different."

Three times in the previous in six years -- 1998, 2000 and 2002 -- three Spaniards made the French quarterfinals. There is a good chance you will see three of them make it to the semifinals.

Ferrero plays Chile's Fernando Gonzalez, Moya faces upstart Martin Verkerk and Robredo, of course, faces Costa.

"Well, I've beaten the Ace, I've beaten the King, now I really need to beat the Queen, don't I? I've beaten the No. 1, I've beaten the person who has won here three times and the next person on the road is Costa.

"If I beat the lot, I'll have beaten the entire pack of cards."

Greg Garber is a senior writer for ESPN.com.