Roger Federer eased into the French Open last eight Sunday to be joined by hobbling Italian Fabio Fognini who saved five match points against Albert Montanes to seal a first Grand Slam quarter-final place. Federer, the 2009 champion, reached a record 28th successive Grand Slam quarter-final with a 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 win over best friend Stanislas Wawrinka.
The third seed has reached the last eight without dropping a set as he continues to thrive at a Roland Garros tournament where the world’s top two, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, are expected to reach the final. “I am super-happy because I knew after Stan beat (Jo-Wilfried) Tsonga, when he really dominated in the last two sets, what the danger was,” said Federer.
“He showed all his qualities in the third set and was a bit unlucky but all the better for me I guess.” With victory on Sunday, in a repeat of the match-up at the same stage of Roland Garros last year, Federer took his career record to 9-1 against Wawrinka, his Beijing Olympics doubles gold medal-winning partner. Next up for the Swiss is either Spain’s David Ferrer or Gael Monfils of France for a place in the semi-finals.
Federer cruised to a two-set lead over Wawrinka courtesy of a break in the fourth game of the opener and two breaks in the third and fifth games of the second set.