Roger Federer and Andy Murray have swept into the French Open quarter-finals as the tournament waits to see if Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic could tee-up a Paris blockbuster.
Second seed Federer, the 2009 champion, made the last eight for the 11th time with a 6-3 4-6 6-4 6-1 win over France’s Gael Monfils and goes on to face Davis Cup-winning teammate Stan Wawrinka.
British third seed Murray ended the hopes of another home player, seeing off unseeded Jeremy Chardy 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-2.
He will next take on seventh-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer.
Federer raced through the final two sets on Monday in just over an hour after the last-16 tie was delicately poised at a set apiece when it was suspended in the chilly gloom of Sunday evening.
“I feel fresh and pumped up to be back in the quarter-finals again after missing out last year,” said Federer, who was beaten by Ernests Gulbis in the last 16 in 2014.
Monfils, a semi-finalist in 2008, was nowhere near his swashbuckling best on Monday, slipping to a break down in the first game of both sets.
He lost the last five games of the contest and although he saved a match point with a trademark cute drop volley, an equally characteristic wild forehand sealed his fate.
Monfils blamed a fever for his erratic performance.
“It was tough because I’m sick. On the eve of the match I was not at my best. I had a bad night and woke up repeatedly. I didn’t have any fever this morning, but my body was sluggish,” said the 28-year-old Frenchman.
Federer will take a 16-2 career advantage over Wawrinka into Tuesday’s quarter-final, including a win on clay in Rome earlier this month.
“It’s special to play Stan, there aren’t many Swiss players in the draw,” said Federer.
Murray, twice a semi-finalist in Paris, will face 2013 runner-up Ferrer for a place in the last four although Chardy, the world No.45, gave him plenty to think about.
However, the Frenchman’s temperament let him down at the wrong times as he was broken three times in the fourth set.
Chardy committed 10 double faults and 56 unforced errors.
“He’s a tough player with a big serve and hit some powerful shots. He made it difficult for me,” said Murray.
“But I was more solid in the third and fourth sets.”
Murray has a 9-6 record against Ferrer, who enjoyed a 6-2 6-2 6-4 victory over Croatian ninth-seeded US Open champion Marin Cilic, but the gritty Spaniard has won all of their four meetings on clay including at Roland Garros in the 2012 quarter-finals.
