DEFENDING champion Andre Agassi stands between Pat Rafter and his dream of playing in the final of what might be his last Australian Open.

Agassi was simply sensational today in a 7-5 6-3 6-4 victory over fellow American Todd Martin, who went into the match still on a high from beating Pete Sampras so efficiently.

But 12th seed Rafter was inspired in his quarter-final as well, as he took 12 of the last 13 games to bring down 14th seed Dominik Hrbaty 6-2 6-7 7-5 6-0.

''I think it's great for the fans here and all around the world because Pat's appreciated everywhere,'' said Agassi of their Thursday clash.

''I just kind of wish he had already retired and then I wouldn't have to think about him.''

Rafter wondered why Agassi's coach Brad Gilbert had bothered to watch the Hrbaty match.

He said: ''It's a waste of time. I've played Andre 15 times and if he does not know my game by now he never will. It's not changed and it's not going to.

''The way he's playing I'm going to have to serve better, hit my groundstrokes better and be a bit more inventive from the baseline. I don't want to hang around with him he's dangerous.''

Agassi, speaking in a way which left no room for argument about how hungry he is for a seventh grand slam title just short of his 31st birthday, added: ''I've got better as the tournament's gone on and now we're down to the semi-finals it's time to really step it up.

''I'm out here to win. I'm out here to hopefully add some more titles. I fall short many times and that's the part that I think inspires you to get up the next day.''

Having won all of the four grand slam championships at least once in his career and having a year ago reached his fourth final in a row, can he see himself or anyone capturing all four in the same year?

''There's no saying it can't be done, but I think we're a lot closer to seeing Mark McGwire's home run record being beat,'' replied Agassi. American baseball player McGwire smashed a record 70 home runs in a single season three years ago.

Once the decisive break came in the 11th game of the first set Martin soon discovered that although he had recovered from a set down against Sampras his prospects of doing the same again were slim to none.

Agassi had an incredible run of winning 20 out of 21 points before the rot was stopped at the start of the third set.

Martin even broke first there, for a 4-3 lead, but failed to win another game and the match finished in appropriate fashion with him in no-man's land as the ball spun over his head into the empty court behind.

Martin said of his defeat: ''I didn't play nearly as well as I had hoped but most of that is due to the way Andre played.

''He is very much in form. His level of play was close to the highest it's been against me. He thrives on confidence and he's got plenty of it.

''Even when I broke in the third I really don't feel like that threw too much of a scare his way.''

Rafter, twice a US Open champion and last year's Wimbledon runner-up, has never previously been beyond the fourth round in the championship. But his straight-sets win over Tim Henman assured he broke new ground and he was not content to let it rest there.

He says he wants to concentrate more on charity and environmental work after this season is over, although his mind was clearly on the court here and now as he stormed through the first set against Hrbaty in 26 minutes.

The Slovakian, in his first grand slam quarter-final, came back well and at 4-1 up in the third set was favourite to win.

But suddenly he was hit by another Rafter onslaught and he was powerless to stop it, the final set lasting only 22 minutes.

Today's two men's quarter-finals are unseeded Spaniard Carlos Moya against 16th seed Sebastien Grosjean and then, starting at 8am British time, 1999 winner Yevgeny Kafelnikov against Greg Rusedski's conqueror Arnaud Clement