Robredo ready for world's best

Tommy Robredo admits he will be facing “the best player in the world” when he meets Roger Federer in the French Open quarter-finals.

Robredo, on his favoured clay surface at Roland Garros, booked his place in the last eight of the competition with a highly-impressive showing against 29th seed Filippo Volandri.

Robredo downed his Italian opponent, who had accounted for Ivan Ljubicic in the previous round, 6-2 7-5 6-1 as he shone in the first match on Suzanne Lenglen court, but he admits it will be a different story against Federer.

The Swiss has beaten Robredo, who has yet to drop a set in four matches but has never made it into the last four in this tournament, in their last seven meetings – including two on clay.

“I’m playing against the best player in the world and we’ll have to think about my game plan, my tactics,” he said.

“I just want to make sure he doubts himself. I will need to pull out all the stops to achieve that objective.

“I have to be 100% fit. I think the match will be physical and I will have to be everywhere.

Federer, the top seed, set up the clash with Robredo by beating Mikhail Youzhny 7-6 (7/3) 6-4 6-4 on Philippe Chatrier court.

And the world number one believes he has the support of the fans.

“I think the crowd would like me to win here this year, because I have been trying hard. And I speak French.

“My French is not fluent but I‘m not too bad. It is why the crowd is with me and I enjoy it.

“The court was full yesterday. It was a fantastic feeling.”

In the days other singles matches Nikolay Davydenko and Guillermo Canas emerged victorious.

Number-four seed Davydenko, who has been tipped to challenge reigning champion Rafael Nadal and Federer for the title this year, won a highly entertaining battle with David Nalbandian 6-3 7-6 (7/1) 3-6 7-6 (7/2).

The Russian, a semi-finalist here in 2005, claimed victory with a forehand winner, the first of his four match points in the last match on Philippe Chatrier court.

Davydenko will next play Canas, who won the battle of the Argentinians with some ease as he stormed to a straight-sets triumph over unseeded compatriot Juan Monaco.

The 19th seed, twice a quarter-finalist at Roland Garros, was a comfortable 6-0 6-4 6-2 winner on Suzanne Lenglen court in little more than two hours.

In the women‘s draw second seed Maria Sharapova saved two match points before progressing into the quarter-finals following an epic fourth round clash against Patty Schnyder.

The Russian, who has been playing through pain at this year’s Roland Garros after her recent shoulder problems, held her nerve to claim a sensational 3-6 6-4 9-7 triumph, after more than two-and-a-half hours’ play.

Sharapova saved match points in the 10th and 14th games of the last set, only to clinch victory on the first of her own in the 16th and final game, setting up a clash with Anna Chakvetadze after the ninth seed beat Lucie Safarova 6-4 0-6 6-2.

Serena Williams is also through following a straight-sets win over Dinara Safina.

The sole remaining American, seeded eight, set up a mouth-watering quarter-final with reigning champion Justine Henin by dismissing her Russian opponent 6-2 6-3.

Henin, the top seed, will meet Williams after securing a 6-2 6-4 win over Sybille Bammer.

Nicole Vaidisova, the sixth seed, also made her way into the quarter-finals by thrashing Italy’s Tathiana Garbin 6-3 6-1 to set up a last eight clash against Jelena Jankovic.

Third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova beat Israeli’s Shahar Peer 6-4 6-3 to set up a quarter-final clash with Ana Ivanovic – following the Serbian’s hard-fought three-set win over Anabel Medina Garrigues.