Lleyton Hewitt was muzzled yesterday at Roland Garros. Finally, the snarling, spitting, dynamic, gutsy, crowdpleasing, talented, profane, ignorant Australian departed the competition to the player many people see as a credible threat to Gustavo Kuerton's hopes of claiming a third title, Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Hewitt, for all of his abrasive thrust and ability to grind out matches in five sets, went tamely in the end 6-4, 6-2, 6-1. It was, as players often point out, the body saying that the previous four matches have taken their toll.

Ferrero, who reached the semi-finals last year, earned 22 break-points and took seven of them compared to Hewitt's seven break-points from which he took just one.

It was a seamless performance by the Spaniard, who controlled everything, especially his service games. A few errors in a nervous beginning were forgivable given his final two sets which ultimately had Hewitt looking unusually crest fallen and discouraged.

"You know I'd nothing in my legs today," said Hewitt. "I got out there and didn't feel too bad first set. Start of the second I just felt dead. That's no excuse though. The guy just hit me off the court. He played great."

Hewitt had a chance at 4-3 in the first set on Ferrero's serve to swing the set in his favour. It was the longest game of the match but the Aussie just couldn't play the big points well. After that the threat fizzled out.

"I think he was a little tired because the other day was pretty tough against (Guillermo) Canas," said Ferrero. "Today I played him very well with my forehand and I moved him around."

Around and out. Gustavo Kuerton, he's like Picasso. Well, Picasso is into the semi-finals at Roland Garros and threatening to become the ninth player of the Open era to successfully defend their title in Paris.

Kuerton did appear to be incredibly creative and instinctive in his four-set win over Yevgeny Kafelnikov in yesterday's other quarter-final.

The Russian, a winner here in 1996, has been beaten twice by Kuerton at the quarter-final stage. In 1997 and 2000 Kuerton then went on to win the championship.

Kuerton has come into the tournament having only been beaten three times in 27 outings, easily the most impressive win record of any Roland Garros top seed in the open era. Even six-times winner Bjorn Borg came with a best of 15 wins.

"It's difficult playing behind with a player like Gustavo all the time," said Kafelnikov. "You give him freedom, he's like Picasso. he's playing backhand up the line, backhand cross court, doing everything."

Kuerton sped to a 6-1 advantage, lost the second as Kafelnikov shook himself and had break points at 4-4 in the third. Kuerton came back from 15-40 down snapped up the set and went on to take the points for 6-4 and the match.