Federer Advances to Quarterfinals at ATP Monte Carlo

The world No. 1 is attempting to build momentum for a run at the only slam title that has eluded him thus far at Roland Garros.

The upside for Federer is he faces a qualifier, French teen Richard Gasquet, in the quarterfinals.

The downside is Gasquet is coming off consecutive Challenger-level tournament wins on clay over some of the top "B"-level Spaniards.

The upside is Gasquet is known as a streaky underachiever.

The downside is last year he stretched French Open champs Gaston Gaudio and Carlos Moya to three sets on clay. And beat grinders Fernando Verdasco, Nicolas Massu (twice) and Tommy Robredo on the dirt. And the 18-year-old former world No. 1-ranked junior and junior Roland Garros champion is exceedingly quick. And Federer will be looking at his game for the first time. You get the picture.

Gasquet ousted No. 10 seed Nikolay Davydenko Thursday in three sets to reach the meeting with Federer.

In 2002 at 15 years of age Gasquet made his tour-level debut at Monte Carlo, parlaying a qualifying wildcard into a main draw appearance, becoming the youngest player ever to qualify for a Masters Series event. The French-boy then defeated Franco "The Squirrel" Squillari in the first round to become the youngest player to win a tour-level main draw match since Tommy Ho in 1988.

"He looks like a good player. He is similar to me," Federer said of Gasquet. "People expected too much of him too soon, so I can sympathize with what he went through."

Joining Federer in the quarters Thursday were some of the hottest claycourters in the land in former No. 1 and Roland Garros winner Juan Carlos Ferrero, who showed some of the old spirit with a straight-set dismantling of No. 2 seed Marat Safin; current Roland Garros holder and No. 4 seed Gaston Gaudio, who fed a bagel set to Romanian qualifier Victor Hanescu; defending Roland Garros runner-up and No. 6 seed Guillermo Coria, who baked a breadstick set against Spain's Al Martin; hot-handed Spaniard and No. 11 seed Rafael Nadal, who only allowed three games to Belgian Olivier Rochus; and unseeded players Dave Ferrer of Spain (d. Zabaleta, who retired with a foot injury) and Italian Filippo Volandri (d. Puerta in three).

"I was a little bit rushing," Safin said after the loss to Ferrero. "I was a little bit annoyed for the fact that I had so many chances and I couldn't take them...Even though that I was hitting the ball really well, but just I was a little bit rushing too much."

Coria reiterated that the finish-line goal is a title at Roland Garros, suppressing the memories of last year's choke in the final against Gaudio.

"This is the objective this season," Coria said. "Every player dreams of winning a Grand Slam and I'm trying to prepare my dream."

The hot-handed Puerta, who earlier dealt Carlos Moya from the event, served at a set and 5-4 before Volandri, suffering from cramps, elbow pain and an injured knee, took the second-set tiebreak and won 6-4 in the third.

Winners in the doubles quarterfinals were Americans (3) Bryan/Bryan (d. Croats Ancic/Ljubicic), (5) Paes/Zimonjic (d. Czechs Damm/Stepanek), Aussies (4) Arthurs/Hanley (d. Bhupathi/Gonzalez in three), and Frenchmen (6) Llodra/Santoro (d. (1) Knowles/Nestor in three).

Friday's quarterfinal singles line up as Volandri vs. (WC) Ferrero (The Mosquito leads the career meetings 2-0), (1) Federer vs. (Q) Gasquet (first meeting), (6) Coria vs. Ferrer (El Mago leads 3-1), and in the day's premier match-up, the current Roland Garros holder (4) Gaudio vs. (11) Nadal (Gaudio leads 3-0, winning their last nervous encounter earlier this year at Buenos Aires 0-6, 6-0, 6-1).

"I have a lot of respect for him. He's my model, and on top of it he's a very nice guy," said Gasquet of Federer. "But even if I respect him, I'll still try to play a very good match. He's one of the only players I didn't practice with yet. This might seem pretentious, but I will try to win -- at least I will try my best."