Paris: Swiss maestro Roger Federer beat Nicolas Mahut of France 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 to reach the men's singles fourth round at the French Open.
The third-seeded Swiss broke Mahut in the 11th game of the final set and held his serve to seal the win in two hours and 37 minutes Friday.
Federer will meet Belgium's David Goffin, the first lucky loser in 17 years to make a Grand Slam fourth round. Goffin is the first loser from the qualifying to make the last 16 of a major since compatriot Dick Norman at Wimbledon in 1995 and the first at Roland Garros since 1978, reported Xinhua.
The 21-year-old achieved the feat by beating Poland's Lukasz Kubot 7-6 (7/4), 7-5, 6-1.
The Belgian lost in the final qualifying round last week, but was then handed a lifeline when French star Gael Monfils pulled out on the eve of the event.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also moved on as he swept past Italian Fabio Fognini 7-5, 6-4, 6-4.
Fifth seed Tsonga will face Stanislas Wawrinka, the 18th-seeded Swiss, who defeated 11th seed Gilles Simon of France 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 6-2.
Italian Andreas Seppi stunned Spain's 14th seed Fernando Verdasco 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.
Seventh-seed Czech Tomas Berdych beat Kevin Anderson 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-4 to end the latter's hopes of becoming the first South African man to reach the last 16 of a Grand Slam in nine years.
Berdych, a semi-finalist here in 2010, will next take on ninth seed Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina, the 2009 US Open champion, who beat Marin Cilic, the Croatian 21st seed 6-3, 7-6 (9/7), 6-1.
Maria Sharapova powered into the third round of the women's singles after routing Japan's Ayumi Morita 6-1, 6-1.
Results:
Men's singles (Second round):
20-Marcel Granollers, Spain, bt Malek Jaziri, Tunisia, 7-6 (7-1), 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 7-5
Third round:
1-Novak Djokovic, Serbia, bt Nicolas Devilder, France, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2
22-Andreas Seppi, Italy, bt 14-Fernando Verdasco, Spain, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
18-Stanislas Wawrinka, Swizerland, bt 11-Gilles Simon, France, 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-2
5-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, France, bt Fabio Fognini, Italy, 7-5, 6-4, 6-4
3-Roger Federer, Switzerland, bt Nicolas Mahut, France, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5
David Goffin, Belgium, bt Lukasz Kubot, Poland, 7-6 (7-4), 7-5, 6-1
9-Juan Martmn Del Potro, Argentina, bt 21-Marin Cilic, Croatia, 6-3, 7-6 (9-7), 6-1
7-Tomas Berdych, Czech Republic, bt 31-Kevin Anderson, South Africa, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-4
Women's singles (Second round):
2-Maria Sharapova, Russia, bt Ayumi Morit, Japan, 6-1, 6-1
Third round:
1-Victoria Azarenka, Belarus, bt Aleksandra Wozniak, Canada, 6-4, 6-4
15-Dominika Cibulkova, Slovakia, bt Maria Jose Martinez, Spain, 6-2, 6-1
Sloane Stephens, United States, bt Mathilde Johansson, France, 6-3, 6-2
26-Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russia, bt 3-Agnieszka Radwanska, Poland, 6-1, 6-2
21-Sara Errani, Italy, bt 13-Ana Ivanovic, Serbia, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3
Petra Martic, Croatia, bt Anabel 29-Medina Garrigues, Spain, 6-2, 6-1
6-Samantha Stosur, Australia, bt 27-Nadia Petrova, Russia, 6-3, 6-3
10-Angelique Kerber, Germany, bt 18-Flavia Pennetta, Italy, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
