Roger Federer cruised into the French Open last 16 on Friday as Roland Garros braced itself for a Grand Slam heavyweight clash between Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin del Potro. Federer, the 2009 champion and playing in his 46th consecutive Grand Slam tournament, disposed of Serbian 29th seed Janko Tipsarevic 6-1, 6-4, 6-3.
The third seed and 2009 champion will face either close friend, and Swiss compatriot, Stanislas Wawrinka or seventh-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for a place in the quarter-finals. "They were tricky conditions, the wind was moving the clouds around, there was a chance of rain so it was good not to spend too much time on court," said Federer.
Dangerous seventh seed David Ferrer of Spain made the last 16 seeing off Ukraine's Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-1, 6-1, 6-3. Ferrer, a quarter-finalist in 2005 and 2008, will face French ninth seed Gael Monfils, who put out Belgian qualifier Steve Darcis, for a place in the quarter-finals. Unseeded Italian Fabio Fognini reached the last 16 of a Grand Slam for the first time by putting out Spanish 30th seed Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1. Fognini will face Spanish veteran Albert Montanes who put out Russian 12th seed Mikhail Youzhny 6-1, 7-6 (7/0), 6-1 to reach the fourth round for the first time.
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