Federer still on course for third straight US title

TOP SEED Roger Federer rolled to his fourth consecutive straight-sets victory with a 6-3 7-6 6-3 triumph over France's Marc Gicquel at the US Open.

Federer, seeking his third straight Open title, won the first three games of the match without losing a point but the 29-year-old Gicquel settled down and fought gamely.

In the quarter-finals, eight-times grand slam champion Federer will play either American James Blake or Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic.