PARIS (AFP) — Big-hitting Fernando Gonzalez of Chile matched his best ever Roland Garros performance on Monday by defeating Robby Ginepri of the United States 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-1 to reach the French Open quarter-finals.
The lone South American survivor in the tournament's fourth round last got to the final eight in 2003 when he lost in five sets to eventual champion Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain.
He will next play either top seed Roger Federer or Frenchman Julien Benneteau for a place in the semi-finals.
Federer jumped out into a 6-4, 7-5 lead in that match before rain brought play to a halt.
Ginepri's run to the last 16 had been entirely unexpected as he had lost in the first round in his five previous appearances.
But a link up with Spanish claycourt coach Jose Higueras - who also coaches Federer - in August of last year worked wonders and he become the first American since Andre Agassi in 2003 to get so far into the tournament.
Using his trademark sledgehammer forehand to great effect, the 27-year-old Gonzalez broke first to lead 3-1, but 25-year-old Ginepri rattled off three games in a row to get back on serve.
The set went to a tie-break which saw Gonzalez jump out into a 4-0 lead and then hold on to take it 7/4.
Three successive breaks of serve from 3-2 to Gonzalez gave the Chilean the advantage in the second and he clinched comfortably on his following service game.
Ginepri looked deflated and when he dropped his serve again in the third game of the third set, the writing was firmly on the wall.
Gonzalez powered away to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final for the first time since the 2007 Australian Open when he eventually lost in the final to Federer.
"I think it's very exciting for me to come back to this tournament," he said. "I have good memories from Australia and my dream is to win one Slam.
"Last year I remember I had many difficulties playing on clay. I could play all right on very fast surfaces but here at Roland Garros, on clay, it was more difficult. But this year it is okay.
"On these tennis courts, if you're better prepared mentally and physically that's good. Then all of a sudden, you reach a second level."
Ginepri paid tribute to Gonzalez saying his forehand was a potent weapon and one of the best in the game.
"Tough conditons out there for me, " he said. "Never really gave myself a chance, but Fernando's game was very solid and his game plan was better than mine."
In the day's other fourth round ties the remaining home hope Gael Monfils was going up against back-to-form Croatian Ivan Ljubicic while Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic was looking to upset Spanish "bulldozer" David Ferrer.
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