The third-seeded Swiss broke Mahut in the 11^th game of the final set and held his serve to seal the win in two hours and 37 minutes Friday.

Federer will meet Belgium’s David Goffin, the first lucky loser in 17 years to make a Grand Slam fourth round. Goffin is the first loser from the qualifying to make the last 16 of a major since compatriot Dick Norman at Wimbledon in 1995 and the first at Roland Garros since 1978, reported Xinhua.

The 21-year-old achieved the feat by beating Poland’s Lukasz Kubot 7-6 (7/4), 7-5, 6-1.

The Belgian lost in the final qualifying round last week, but was then handed a lifeline when French star Gael Monfils pulled out on the eve of the event.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also moved on as he swept past Italian Fabio Fognini 7-5, 6-4, 6-4.

Fifth seed Tsonga will face Stanislas Wawrinka, the 18^th-seeded Swiss, who defeated 11^th seed Gilles Simon of France 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 6-2.

Italian Andreas Seppi stunned Spain’s 14^th seed Fernando Verdasco 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.

Seventh-seed Czech Tomas Berdych beat Kevin Anderson 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-4 to end the latter’s hopes of becoming the first South African man to reach the last 16 of a Grand Slam in nine years.

Berdych, a semi-finalist here in 2010, will next take on ninth seed Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina, the 2009 US Open champion, who beat Marin Cilic, the Croatian 21^st seed 6-3, 7-6 (9/7), 6-1.

Maria Sharapova powered into the third round of the women’s singles after routing Japan’s Ayumi Morita 6-1, 6-1.