Federer steps into unknown

Roger Federer survived another awkward French Open assignment yesterday to book a last 16 match-up with Belgium’s David Goffin, the first lucky loser in 17 years to make a Grand Slam fourth round.

Federer, the champion in Paris in 2009, overcame battling French world number 89 Nicolas Mahut 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5, being pushed to four sets for the second match in succession.

Goffin is the first lucky loser from 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.

The 21-year-old achieved the feat by beating Poland’s Lukasz Kubot 7-6 (7/4), 7-5, 6-1, having originally lost in the final qualifying round last week.

He was then handed a lifeline when French star Gael Monfils pulled out on the eve of the event.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga did his part to keep alive home hopes of a first men’s champion since 1983 when he swept past colourful Italian Fabio Fognini to reach the last 16.

Fifth seed Tsonga won 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 against the 45th-ranked Fognini and will face Stanislas Wawrinka, the 18th-seeded Swiss, who defeated French 11th seed Gilles Simon 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 6-2.

Andreas Seppi kept Italian interest alive by reaching the last 16 of a Grand Slam at the 29th time of asking.

The 22nd seed stunned Spain’s Fernando Verdasco 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 and will now face Djokovic for a place in the quarter-finals after the world number one crushed Nicolas Devilder 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.

Seventh-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych ended Kevin Anderson’s hopes of becoming the first South African man to reach the last 16 of a Grand Slam for nine years in a third round slugfest.

The 31st seed from Johannesburg was attempting to match comptariot Wayne Ferreira who made the fourth round at the Australian Open in 2003.

But after taking a two sets to one lead, he ran out of steam in the final set, when he needed treatment on his left thigh at every changeover, and lost 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4 6-4, eight minutes short of four hours.

Former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova made a mockery of the seedings by outclassing third seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-1, 6-2.

Radwanska was the highest seed to fall in the tournament so far as she had no answer to the all-court game of Kuznetsova, who won at Roland Garros in 2009, five years after she won the US Open, her only other Grand Slam title.

Since then, the Russian has had a torrid time with injuries and loss of form, while Radwanska has smoothly made the transfer out of the junior ranks and up the WTA rankings.

But all that was cast aside as the Russian took command of the match from the start with a 5-0 lead and offered her opponent no chance after that to get back into it.

Other results: (Women) Stosur bt Petrova 6-3, 6-3; Sharapova bt Morita 6-1, 6-1, Kerber bt Pennetta 4-6, 6-3, 6-2; Azarenka bt Wozniak 6-4, 6-4; Cibulkova bt Martinez 6-2, 6-1; Errani bt Ivanovic 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.