Rafael Nadal moved to within three wins of defending his French Open crown when he subdued a battling and determined Lleyton Hewitt to reach the quarter-finals at Roland Garros on Monday.
The 20-year-old Spanish second seed racked up his 57th consecutive clay court win with his 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 triumph and now faces either French 25th seed Gael Monfils or Serbia's unseeded Novak Djokovic for a place in the last four.
The win also preserved Nadal's 100-percent record here and was also his first over the Australian 14th seed in four career meetings.
Ivan Ljubicic joined compatriot Mario Ancic in the quarter-finals as Croatia celebrated having two men in the last eight for the first time.
Fourth seeded Ljubicic overcame unseeded Spaniard Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 to set up a clash against France's Julien Benneteau for a place in the semi-finals. It will be the 27-year-old Ljubicic's second successive Grand Slam quarter-final after he made the last eight at the Australian Open in January.
"Until the age of 15, I didn't play on anything but clay," said Ljubicic.
"I have always felt comfortable on it. I can't say I'm surprised to be in the quarter-finals. If I had done it five or six years ago, I would have said it's incredible. Now I feel I'm in the right place." Ancic had booked his place in the quarter-finals, and a match-up against top seed and world number one Roger Federer, on Sunday
Unseeded Benneteau, the world number 95, became the first home player since 2002 to make the quarter-finals when Spain's Alberto Martin was forced to retire injured from their fourth round clash.
The 24-year-old Benneteau was leading 5-1 in the first set when Martin, who had needed treatment for a back injury, called it quits.
Sebastien Grosjean was the last French player to reach the Roland Garros last eight four years ago.
Benneteau admitted that he was relieved at the outcome as he too was carrying an injury.
"I have a problem with my thigh and I wasn't looking forward to playing this last 16 match," said the Frenchman who has never previously got beyond the third round of a Grand Slam.
"Thank God that the match today didn't go on for four or five sets. Now I hope to stay on in the tournament and maybe this is a good luck sign."
Meanwhile, in a women's fourth round match held over from Sunday, former world number one Martina Hingis beat Israel's Shahar Peer 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.
The 12th seeded Swiss will now face Belgian second seed Kim Clijsters for a place in the semi-finals on Tuesday.
Clijsters ended Hingis's run in the quarter-finals at the Australian Open as the Swiss player made her return to the circuit after a three-year break through injury.
"Sunday was difficult and under difficult conditions," said 25-year-old Hingis who was one-set all with Peer when play was halted the previous evening.
"We were waiting for a long time and had split sets. It was better for me to stop as she had the momentum and I could go out fresh today and that helped me."
MONDAY'S RESULTS (x denotes seeding):
MEN'S SINGLES FOURTH ROUND: Julien Benneteau (FRA) bt Alberto Martin (ESP) 5-1 - retired; Ivan Ljubicic (CRO x4) bt Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo (ESP) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; Rafael Nadal (ESP x2) bt Lleyton Hewitt (AUS x14) 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.
WOMEN'S SINGLES FOURTH ROUND: Martina Hingis (SUI x12) bt Shahar Peer (ISR x31) 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.
SUNDAY'S COLLATED RESULTS
MEN'S SINGLES THIRD ROUND: Ivan Ljubicic (CRO x4) bt Juan Monaco (ARG) 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2; Gael Monfils (FRA x25) bt James Blake (USA x8) 6-2, 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (7/1), 5-7, 6-4.
FOURTH ROUND: Mario Ancic (CRO x12) bt Tommy Robredo (ESP x7) 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5; Roger Federer (SUI x1) bt Tomas Berdych (CZE x20) 6-3, 6-2, 6-3; Nikolay Davydenko (RUS x6) bt Gaston Gaudio (ARG x10) 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3; David Nalbandian (ARG x3) bt Martin Vassallo Arguello (ARG) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
WOMEN'S SINGLES FOURTH ROUND: Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x8) bt Francesca Schiavone (ITA x9) 1-6, 6-4, 6-4; Dinara Safina (RUS x14) bt Maria Sharapova (RUS x4) 7-5, 2-6, 7-5; Kim Clijsters (BEL x2) bt Daniela Hantuchova (SVK x15) 6-1, 6-4; Venus Williams (USA x11) bt Patty Schnyder (SUI x7) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2; Nicole Vaidisova (CZE x16) bt Amelie Mauresmo (FRA x1) 6-7 (5/7), 6-1, 6-2; Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER x13) bt Gisela Dulko (ARG x32) 6-3, 6-4; Justine Henin-Hardenne (BEL x5) bt Anastasia Myskina (RUS x10) 6-1, 6-4.
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