Andre Agassi's remarkable career ended in the U S Open on Sunday when he lost to German qualifier Benjamin Becker 7-5, 6-7, 6-4, 7-5.

Suffering from severe back pain and unable to draw strength from the wildly partisan crowd, the 36-year-old Agassi sobbed uncontrollably after a prolonged standing ovation following his defeat.

He is one of only five men to win all four Grand Slams.

Fifth seed Nadia Petrova became the highest seeded casualty at this year's Open when she was beaten 7-5, 6-7, 6-3 by France's Tatiana Golovin in the third round.

Petrova, a quarter-finalist the last two years, led by a break in the opening set but Golovin broke back and then broke again in the 11th game before serving out for the lead.

The Russian hit back in the tiebreak but Golovin then broke early in the third set and held her nerve to serve out for the win after two hours 46 minutes.

Golovin will next meet another Russian, Anna Chakvetadze.

Former champion Lindsay Davenport saved two match points as she squeezed past Slovenian 22nd seed Katarina Srebotnik, winning 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 to reach the fourth round.

The American 10th seed was well below her best but after saving the match points in the 12th game of the third set, snatched the tiebreak to clinch victory in just under two hours.