Former French Open champion Kafelnikov saved three set points, two of them in the fourth-set tiebreak, before Johansson closed out a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) victory in two hours 35 minutes to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final.

The 23-year-old Johansson will meet either British 13th seed Tim Henman or big-hitting Australian Mark Philippoussis.

World No.1 Pete Sampras swept in to the quarter-finals when he defeated hard-hitting Russian teenager Marat Safin 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 and torrential rains in 77 minutes.

Sampras now plays either compatriot Andre Agassi or Slovakia's Karol Kucera who were locked in a tense and sometimes bad-tempered clash until renewed rain stopped Championship play for a second time late in the session.

The Kucera-Agassi showdown came to life in a dramatic third set.

The 24-year-old from Bratislavahad won the opening sets 6-3, 6-3, but became unsettled by some blatant gamesmanship from the brash American.

Kucera, who had been having constant trouble with his high service toss because of the wind and often needing several attempts to put the ball in play, found Agassi imitating him at the other end. To make matters worse the American at one stage pretended at the very last minute that he was not ready to receive a serve. He also began `moonballing' to break his opponent's rhythm.

The tactics worked. Agassi went on to take the third set tiebreak and then surged 3-0 clear in the fourth before rain forced the stoppage.

Fifth-seeded American teenager Venus Williams reached the quarter-finals when she defeated French player Mary Pierce 6-1, 7-6 (7-4).

The 18-year-old Williams now plays fourth-seeded Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario. The crafty Spaniard defeated fifteenth-seeded Anna Kournikova of Russia 7-6 (7-5), 6-3.

Second-seed Lindsay Davenport of the United States overwhelmed Wimbledon finalistNathalie Tauziat of France 6-1, 6-4 in just 67 minutes.

Amanda Coetzer of South Africa earlier put out seventh-seed Conchita Martinez of Spain.

Martinez, the 1994 Wimbledon champion who had beaten Coetzer in all but one of their previous thirteen encounters, finally went down 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 in a gruelling two-and-a-half hour showdown.

In the men's doubles, fifteenth seeded Sandon Stolle of Australia and Cyril Sukof the Czech Republic chalked up a shock when they put out second-seeded Australians Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. The defeat leaves the Australian pair without a Grand Slam title for the first time in six years.

Mahesh Bhupathi and Mirjana Lucic split the first two sets with Serena Williams and Max Miryni in the third round of the mixed doubles when rain stopped play. After winning the first set 6-3, Bhupathi and Lucic lost the second 5-7.

Earlier, in the junior event, Manoj Mahadevan and Vijay Kannan lost out in a closely fought three setter to the second seeded pair ofJeanpierre and Haehnel in the first round of the doubles event. After pulling off the first set 6-3, they lost the next two 3-6, 6-7 (3).

Mahadevan later also lost the singles first round to Jarkko Neiminen of Finland 6-4, 6-4.

In girls' action, Uzma Khan crashed out in straight sets to Ansley Cargill in the first round 0-6, 5-7.

RESULTS

Mens Singles (4th rd): 1-Pete Sampras (US) bt Marat Safin (Rus) 6-4, 6-3, 6-2

Doubles (3rd rd): 15-Sandon Stolle (Aus)/Cyril Suk (Cze) bt 2-Tod Woodbridge/Mark Woodforde (Aus) 3-6, 6-3, 7-5; 7-Martin Damm (Cze)/Jim Grabb (US) bt Luke Jensen/ Murphy Jensen (US) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.

Women's Singles (4th round): 13-Amanda Coetzer (RSA) bt 7-Conchita Martinez (Spa) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2; 5-Venus Williams (US) bt 12-Mary Pierce (Fra) 6-1, 7-6 (7-4); 2-Lindsay Davenport (US) bt 10-Nathale Tauziat (Fra) 6-1, 6-4; 4-Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (Spa) bt 15-Anna Kournikova (Rus) 7-6 (7-5), 6-3.