The Basel native is through to the quarter-finals without the loss of a set and continued his impressive run of form against the No. 14-seeded Wawrinka, with whom he won a doubles gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Federer was utterly dominant in the first two sets, breaking serve in the fourth game of the first set and twice more in the third and fifth games of the second set as he quickly established a two-set lead.
Wawrinka, who had staged a comeback from two sets and a break down in the previous round against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, embarked on what he hoped could be a similar feat in the third set as he broke to lead 3-0. However, Federer struck back in the seventh game and broke his countryman again to lead 6-5 before claiming victory in one hour and 46 minutes.
"He showed all his qualities in the third set and was a bit unlucky," said Federer. "I am super happy because I knew after he beat Tsonga, when he really dominated in the last two sets, what the danger was."
The 29-year-old Federer came into Roland Garros somewhat under the radar. It is only the third time since 2002 that the right-hander has not won a clay-court title coming in, with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic having swept the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles in Monte-Carlo (Nadal), Madrid and Rome (both Djokovic).
Federer is bidding to win his 17th Grand Slam championship, what would be his first since the 2010 Australian Open (d. Murray), and his second Roland Garros crown, having triumphed over Robin Soderling in 2009.
For a place in the semi-finals, Federer will face either seventh-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer or ninth-seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils.
Date: 29.05.2011, Source: ATP
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