Federer still on course for third straight US title
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.
Federer blasted 15 aces and had 42 winners but Gicquel stayed in the one hour, 46-minute match by committing only 22 unforced errors, seven fewer than the Swiss.
Tommy Haas edged out Marat Safin in five sets to take his place in the last eight.
The fourteenth seed from Germany beat the 2000 champion from Russia 4-6 6-3 2-6 6-2 7-6 (7/5) and will now play Nikolay Davydenko.
After splitting the first four sets, both Safin and Haas held serve throughout the fifth to set up a decisive tie-break.
Safin, who was taking to the court for a fourth straight day, erased a mini-break and forged a 5-5 tie with a cross court forehand winner past Haas at the net.
But Haas countered with a service winner, and Safin sent a backhand long on match point.
“In the tie-break, two balls that I missed cost me basically the match,” Safin said.
“I played pretty well, but in important moments I didn’t do anything special.”
Safin won 142 points — two more than Haas — in the match which lasted three hours and 10 minutes.
Despite his defeat, the injury-prone Safin was pleased to reach the round of 16 at the year’s final major.
“I didn’t think I would beat anybody coming here,” Safin added. “The way I played the whole summer was terrible. I couldn’t beat anybody.
“Here I beat (fourth seed David) Nalbandian, (26th seed Olivier) Rochus, who I never like to play against. I was just a few points away against Tommy. So overall, it’s pretty good.”
World number one Amelie Mauresmo strolled into the women’s semi-finals with a 6-2 6-3 victory against 12th-seeded Russian Dinara Safina.
Mauresmo, who broke through for her first grand slam title at the Australian Open this year and added another at Wimbledon, matched her best showing at Flushing Meadows with her 62-minute dismissal of Safina, who was playing just her second major quarter-final.
Safina, who lost serve four times in the first set and once in the second, admitted having trouble adjusting to the big stage.
“I understood what I had to do, but I couldn’t handle my nerves,” Safina said.
“They were stronger than me today. They took control over me.”
The Frenchwoman, who won the final four games in a 6-4 0-6 6-2 victory over Serena Williams in the fourth round, awaits either 27th-seeded countrywoman Tatiana Golovin or another Russian third seed Maria Sharapova, who will begin the night session at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
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