PARIS — Four years ago, Roger Federer lost in the quarterfinals of the French Open to Swiss countryman Stan Wawrinka in straight sets. He’ll get a chance for revenge.
Wawrinka edged Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6 (6), 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 8-6 in an epic 5-hour, 9-minute match at Roland Garros Sunday. He’s in the quarters of a Grand Slam for the first time in two years.
The 24th-seeded Wawrinka saved 22 of 27 break points, including 8 of 8 in the fifth set, against No. 6 seed Tsitsipas.
Wawrinka won the 2015 French Open for one of his three career major titles and was the runner-up in 2017. But he hadn’t been past the fourth round at a Slam since, in part because he missed time after knee surgery.
He is 34, 14 years older than Tsitsipas.
Despite Wawrinka’s win in 2015, Federer leads the head-to-head series with Wawrinka 22-3.
Federer’s return to French Open clay is going so smoothly he still has not dropped a set in reaching the quarterfinals.
The 20-time Grand Slam winner eased through with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 win Sunday against unseeded Argentine Leonardo Mayer and is one match away from a potential semifinal — and a 39th career match — against defending champion and longtime rival Rafael Nadal.
Nadal won by the same score as Federer on Sunday, but he was at least given a little bit more of a test by another unseeded Argentine, Juan Ignacio Londero.
While Federer did not face a single break point in beating Mayer for the fourth time in four meetings, Nadal dropped his serve once — late in the third set — and saved four other break-point chances in his first-ever match against the quick-hitting Londero.
Serving at 40-30 in the eighth game of the third set, Nadal was given a time violation warning, which he felt was the correct call made in the wrong circumstances because of persistent talking from the crowd as he prepared to serve in that game, and during his previous service game.
“Ok, I agree with you but (they are) still talking,” Nadal told the chair umpire, referring to the crowd.
Nadal held with an ace for 5-3, and then broke Londero for the sixth time to clinch victory.
Federer won his only French Open in 2009, the year Nadal lost to big-serving Swede Robin Soderling in the fourth round.
The 37-year-old Federer is now into a record-extending 54th Grand Slam quarterfinal overall, compared to 38 for Nadal, which is fourth all-time. Federer also became the third oldest man to reach the last eight at Roland Garros.
“Of course the hope was to go deep and I’m in the quarters now, so I’m very, very happy at this point,” Federer said. “I served super well and Leonardo had trouble returning. I was able to put pressure on him and I’m very happy with my performance.”
After dropping his serve to lose the second set, Mayer angrily swiped the ball away and was given a code violation warning for ball abuse.
Federer was looking so clinical and assured that the crowd at a sun-baked Philippe Chatrier groaned in disbelief when he missed an easy-looking forehand volley at the net, early in the third set.
It was the second time Federer has beaten Mayer at a Grand Slam — the other also coming in straight sets, in the first round of the U.S. Open in 2015. That was also the last year Federer had played at Roland Garros, before skipping clay entirely until returning to the surface this year.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.