Friday, July 21 2006 14:30 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Indianapolis: Thai fighter Paradorn Srichaphan came back from the dead, saving three match points in a 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) defeat of Paul Goldstein at the ATP Indianapolis Open yesterday.

The eighth seed from Bangkok is fast forgetting his 12 first-round defeats this season, seven of those mishaps coming on clay and his most recent against clay-courter Agustin Calleri at Wimbledon.

Paradorn, the 2003 runner-up here to Andy Roddick, saved three match points in a momentum-shifting final set, where he trailed 4-2.

"I thought he match was lost," said Paradorn, who is travelling on his own for much of the North American hardcourt summer. "He seemed to tighten up as he served for 5-2.

"We both played well on returns. I'm glad to be in a quarter-final again," he said.

The Thai said the match reminded him of his last win over the 75th-ranked Goldstein, who has won just two of 11 sets in four losses to Paradorn.

"I saved two match points when we played in Washington last summer. There were long rallies today, which was exactly what I was expecting," he said.

The contest was delayed more than two and a half hours by rain, with players getting into action at mid-afternoon.

Paradorn will line up Friday against defending champion holder Robby Ginepri, who found his way back against Russian Igor Kunitsyn 6-2, 6-7 (2/7), 6-1.

Ginepri had to fight back in the final set after missing the chance to serve out a straight-sets win.

World No. 92 Kunitsyn, now 3-8 this season, put Ginepri through the wringer as he took the contest into a deciding third set. But the American steadied to carve out the victory.

"I played a couple of sloppy points and got tight," Ginepri said of his near-miss.

"I was thinking about them all during the tiebreaker," he said.

"I don't have many wins this season and was defending the title. It's tough mentally to serve out a win. But I stepped it up in the third and his level dropped," he said.

Chile's third-seeded Fernando Gonzalez, who is playing hardcourts straight through the US Open next month, moved into the last eight over American Vince Spadea 6-4, 7-6 (9/7).

Florida-based Belgian Xavier Malisse came through against California-based Russian Dmitry Tursunov 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 6-3.

Top seed James Blake and two-time champion Andy Roddick were bidding for quarter-final berths later yesterday.