World number one Roger Federer cruised through to the quarterfinals of the Hamburg Masters with a convincing 7-5 6-1 victory over Chilean baseliner Fernando Gonzalez on Thursday.
Top seed Federer next plays Spain's Carlos Moya in an intriguing clash between two serious candidates for victory at the French Open starting on May 24.
PHOTO: EPA
Moya, the seventh seed and winner of last week's Rome Masters, had to battle for over two hours to beat compatriot Fernando Verdasco 6-4 3-6 6-4 and survive the third round.
PHOTO: AFP
The former French Open champion fought back from a break down in the decisive set and Verdasco finally bowed out after a brave challenge by sending a forehand into the net on the first match point.
Argentine Guillermo Coria, the second seed and defending champion, also went through with a 7-6 6-4 victory over 16th-seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo.
Coria, who has won 29 matches in a row on clay including all 14 he has played this season, kept his cool under pressure, surviving three set points in the first set before taking control.
He now faces another Spaniard in David Ferrer, who qualified with a 5-7 6-4 6-3 win over countryman Albert Costa, the 2002 French Open champion and the winner here in 1998.
Swiss Federer, who made his career breakthrough when he won the Hamburg title two years ago, stepped up a gear after a tight first set to oust Gonzalez, the 13th seed.
Gonzalez showed character by recovering from 5-2 down in the first set to level at 5-5 but Federer broke him again two games later with a little help from the net cord to take the set.
The Australian Open and Wimbledon champion was in a class of his own in the second set and underlined his determination by winning the final game to love.
"I've had problems with several aspects of my game over the last few weeks but it's all coming together," said the Swiss all-rounder, whose performances here strongly suggest that he could shine at the French Open.
"I'm returning better and my serve and my forehand are also improving. I'm really pleased with the way I played today."
While Federer is looking forward to the French Open, former world number one Marat Safin hinted he might miss it after losing 6-4 6-4 to unheralded Austrian Juergen Melzer.
"I only go to tournaments when I feel like playing and if I believe I can win," the Russian said of his chances of being in Paris for the highlight of the claycourt season.
"Now I'll go home, take a rest, maybe hit a few balls and we'll see how I feel."
The 22-year-old Melzer advanced to the quarterfinals of a Masters Series event for the first time and will meet former world number one Lleyton Hewitt, who struggled to beat Brazil's Flavio Saretta 6-4 2-6 6-4.
WTA Rome Masters
Top seed Serena Williams joined Amelie Mauresmo and Jennifer Capriati in the quarterfinals of the Rome Masters on Thursday after strolling to a comfortable straight-sets victory over Dally Randriantefy.
Randriantefy, from Madagascar and ranked 97th in the world, was no match for the pace and power of the six-time Grand Slam winner who wrapped up a 6-1, 6-3 win in 45 minutes at the Foro Italico.
Williams, a winner in Rome two years ago, will play Russian ninth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the last eight.
Williams may have taken less than an hour to polish off Randriantefy, but she still found faults in her game.
"I don't think I played as well as I could have, so I'm not satisfied at all," said the 22-year-old American.
"I had opportunities to close the match out earlier and I think the scoreline could have been a little different."
Mauresmo, a three-time beaten finalist here, produced a scintillating display to defeat 1994 Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez in straight sets.
Mauresmo's victory over the 32-year-old four-time Rome champion set up a meeting against 10th seed Silvia Farina Elia, who beat Russian 17-year-old Maria Sharapova in her second match of the day to ensure there would be two Italians in the quarterfinals.
Farina Elia, who defeated American Meghann Shaughnessy in her rain-delayed second-round match in the day's early action, joined compatriot Francesco Schiavone in the last eight.
American fifth seed Jennifer Capriati, winner of three Grand Slam titles, lost just four games in her straight sets demolition of Argentine Paola Suarez in her third-round match.
A trouble-free 6-2, 6-2 victory set up a quarterfinal clash against Israeli 16th seed Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi, who defeated Italian wildcard Flavia Pennetta.
Mauresmo, 24, said she had to be aggressive to prevent Martinez taking control of the match.
"I tried to use a little power because if you give her time and let her dictate the game she can punish you," Mauresmo said.
Mauresmo, who has always reached at least the quarterfinals here since her first appearance in 1999, said her good record in Rome was down to her preparation.
"The good thing about coming here is that I've usually played a couple of tournaments beforehand and sometimes even more," she said.
"I always come here with a lot of matches behind me. It helps my confidence and my rhythm on clay."
Attack also proved to be the best form of defense for Capriati.
"I felt like I was playing really well, hitting my shots, serving well and even coming to the net a few times," said the 28-year-old American, who reached the semifinals here two years ago.
"My mentality was to go out there and go forward. When I am moving well I can get to the ball that little bit quicker. And at the net you need that little bit extra to make the difference."
Kuznetsova, a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon last year, booked her place in the next round by edging Japanese seventh seed Ai Sugiyama in a tense three-set battle.
Kuznetsova threw away a 5-0 lead in the decider to allow Sugiyama to draw level, but the 18-year-old Russian held her nerve in the tiebreak.
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