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The 4^th round marks the cusp of the first and second weeks at the slams. The winners march into the quarter finals with the second weekend in their sights while the others are left with the ‘so near yet so far feeling’. 3^rd seed Roger Federer certainly left perennial second fiddle Stan Wawrinka with the latter feeling in a straight set 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 victory. The win meant that Federer went past Jimmy Connors with his 28^th consecutive appearance in the quarterfinal of a Grand Slam. The Swiss Maestro has enjoyed the courts and the harder balls this year, and raced through to a comfortable win despite a minor blip early in the third set.

The 3^rd seed on the women’s side Vera Zvonareva did not have it as good as she was ousted by young Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in an entertaining encounter. Pavlyuchenkova made her first ever slam quarterfinal on the back of her pounding groundstrokes out hitting her more experienced opponent 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-2. Fabio Fognini joined Pavlyuchenkova as a first time quarterfinalist overcoming cramps and Albert Montanes in a gruelling encounter that went the distance. The Italian saved multiple match points as he recovered from a 2-5 deficit in the decider before winning 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 11-9 in 4 hours and 22 minutes. Fognini now gets the day off before playing either Djokovic or Gasquet and Federer awaits the winner of the Ferrer-Monfils tussle in the quarterfinals. Also playing later today are defending champion Schiavone who takes on Jankovic and Hantuchova who takes on former champion Kuznetsova.

Roger Federer playing Stanislas Wawrinka has an air of inevitability to it. For any number of reasons, Wawrinka’s game just works right into Federer’s and the head to head is the best illustrator of this dominance. There was no difference to the script this time around either as Federer started brightly, kept the pressure on and finished in style. Federer took the initiative early in the first set, as he drove Wawrinka around drawing the errors that allowed him to break to 3-1. That break was to prove to be enough as after the sparkling start he sat on the lead and took the set 6-3.

The next set was all about Federer driving home the advantage which is what he did in superb fashion. Troubling Wawrinka on serve throughout the set, Roger broke twice to race through the set 6-2. Wawrinka had recovered from this situation in the previous round against Tsonga, and he briefly raised hopes as he broke Federer enroute to going up 3-0 in the third set. He held on to that lead before Federer broke back in the 7^th game to restore parity in the set. At 5-5, Wawrinka’s serve was once again put under a stern examination and Federer broke on his second opportunity as Wawrinka netted the backhand volley. Federer then held on finishing the match comprehensively with an ace.

Earlier, the Russians marched on in Paris to commence play on Court Philippe Chatrier as Vera Zvonareva took on Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Aged 19, Pavlyuchenkova is the youngest player left in the draw and was making her first appearance in the round of 16. Zvonareva, far more experienced at 26, has matured into a wily customer, and broke down her compatriot’s game with a mixture of loop, pace and direction, to streak into a 5-2 lead herself. Appreciably, Anastasia figured out a way to deal with the mixture that Zvonareva threw at her and restored parity, taking the set to a tie-break. She continued that resurgence, controlled the breaker with her forehand and took it in style with a volley into the open court.

Zvonareva upped the intensity, hitting harder and taking time away from her opponent, turned the tables running away with the second set 6-2. The final set began in a tight scrap with Zvonareva nosing ahead at 2-1. Pavlyuchenkova proceeded to break back after a long 4^th game and from there went from strength to strength turning the screws on her opponent. Zvonareva eventually capitulated losing the set and the match 6-2 to an inspired Pavlyuchenkova.

Sunday's Early Scores:

R.Federer d S.Wawrinka 6-3, 6-2, 7-5

A.Pavlyuchenkova d V.Zvonareva 7-6, 2-6, 6-2

F.Fognini d A.Montanes 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3,11-9

Also Read: Djokovic cruises past Gasquet, Schiavone battles past Jankovic 

File Photograph Copyright: Madrid Masters