Thu May 8 15:18:34 2008

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Federer, Djokovic, Roddick reach Rome QFs

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Rome, Italy (Sports Network) - World No. 1 superstar Roger Federer, Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic and former top-ranked American Andy Roddick led the charge into the quarterfinals at the $3.5 million Italian Masters, a clay-court French Open tune-up.

The 2003 and 2006 Rome runner-up Federer held off 6-foot-10 Croatian Ivo Karlovic 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 to come within two wins of his third final appearance here in six years.

Federer's quarterfinal opponent on Friday will be gritty Czech Radek Stepanek, who got past Peruvian qualifier Luis Horna 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 at Foro Italico.

Meanwhile, a third-seeded Djokovic outlasted Russian Igor Andreev 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in a grueling 2 hours, 42 minutes and a sixth-seeded Roddick handled Italian favorite Simone Bolelli 7-6 (7-5), 6-3. Bolelli was last week's Munich runner-up to Chilean strongman Fernando Gonzalez, who was last year's Rome runner-up to Spanish clay-court king Rafael Nadal.

In other third-round action, eighth-seeded American James Blake overcame Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 and Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka waltzed past former world No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-4, 6-3. The former French Open winner and 2001 Rome champion Ferrero stunned his fellow Spaniard Nadal in straight sets here on Wednesday. Nadal was the reigning three-time Rome titlist.

Blake, who will appear in his first quarterfinal here since 2002, will battle the capable Wawrinka on Friday.

Spanish clay-court specialist Nicolas Almagro moved into the round of eight via walkover when a 12th-seeded Gonzalez pulled out here on Thursday, citing a right leg injury. "Gonzo" was fresh off his clay-court title in Munich.

This week's winner will take home $558,000.