'Guga' set Roland Garros alight when he arrived here as a 20-year-old ranked 66 in the world and promptly beat Spanish two-time champion Sergi Bruguera before adding further titles in 2000 and 2001.

Never before had the swish Roland Garros complex been invaded by hordes of flag-waving, soccer-shirted Brazilian fans, many of whom drummed out a furious samba beat long after their hero had disappeared into the night, having earlier sprayed champagne onto several from a first floor window.

But this time he found Robredo more than a match as Kuerten's legs, now bearing the tell-tale scars of six years of tough battles and his hips, operated on last year, failed to last the pace in a 6-4, 1-6, 7-6, 6-4 win for the Spaniard.

"I should have imposed myself more on the match in that first set," said Kuerten, who began solidly before throwing the set away.

His second set renaissance was all too brief against a player who was cock a hoop after knocking out top seed Lleyton Hewitt in the previous round.

Hewitt scathingly predicted Robredo would go no further.

But the 21-year-old made the Adelaider eat his words, echoes of last year's US Open when Greg Rusedski said Pete Sampras would not last long even though the fading champion had just knocked him out.

A week later Sampras was holding up his record 14th Grand Slam trophy.

Kuerten opined that the game had become more aggressive on clay since he started out - and he lacked a little against Robredo.

"Nowadays you have to play an attacking game and with a lot of aggression.

"(Carlos) Moya, (Juan Carlos) Ferrero, (Guillermo) Coria and (Andre) Agassi don't just volley, they play tough as well and mix their approach work also," said the man who was once the undisputed king of clay.

"Robredo mixed things up very well. He did a lot of drop shots and moved me around the court. I couldn't impose my rhythm."

The hypnotic beat of the samba will not be heard again at this championships.