Tommy Robredo, the 31-year-old Spaniard, came back from two sets down today, to beat fellow countryman Nicolas Almagro, 6-7(5), 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
It was Robredo’s third five-setter in a row, each time losing the first two sets. In the second round he beat Igor Sijsling, of the Netherlands, 6-7(2), 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-1; in the third round the Spaniard beat local favorite Frenchman Gael Monfils, 2-6, 6-7(5), 6-2, 7-6(3), 6-2.
David Ferrer, also of Spain, made quick work of taking down the tall South African Kevin Anderson, 6-3, 6-1, 6-1.
Robredo and Ferrer will now face off in the quarterfinals, thus guaranteeing at least one Spaniard making it through to the semis.
The Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the No. 6 seed, beat Viktor Troicki, of Serbia, in straight sets: 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
In the final men’s match of the day, Roger Federer, the No. 2 seed, and former Roland Garros champion, had to go five sets against the Frenchman Gilles Simon (15), before sealing the victory, 6-1, 4-6, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3. After winning the first set, the Swiss played a sloppy second and third sets, before rebounding in the fourth, eventually closing it out 6-3 in the fifth.
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