ROGER Federer avoided following Rafael Nadal out of Wimbledon by coming from two sets down last night to beat Julien Benneteau.
Second seed Nadal's exit to unheralded Czech Lukas Rosol on Thursday night was one of the greatest grand slam shocks in recent memory.
Although a loss for Federer against the French 29th seed would not have been as great a surprise, it would still been a remarkable upset.
Six-time champion Federer last failed to reach the fourth round of a grand slam in 2004.
There was trouble against Benneteau when he fell two sets behind, spurning three set points in the process, but he found his rhythm and eventually dragged himself back from the brink.
He was helped by Benneteau visibly wilting as the match went on. A one-time quarter-finalist at Roland Garros, he rather rolled over in the third set and, despite taking the fourth to a tie-break, meekly conceded the fifth as well, with Federer winning 4-6 6-7 (7/3) 6-2 7-6 (8/6) 6-1.
"It was a tough match, it was brutal and I had a bit of luck on my side," Federer said.
"I knew it would be a difficult match and he played amazing.
"When I was down, I tried to stay calm. People can freak out, people are worried for you, you don't have many lives left. You try to take it point by point."
It had looked as though five sets would not be needed when Benneteau pulled ahead, taking the opener when he broke in the ninth – Federer netting a backhand.
The Swiss responded by taking his opponent's serve at the start of the second but uncharacteristically failed to cement the break, losing his own serve in the very next game.
Displaying a brilliant range of winners on both sides, Benneteau was creating the better chances and he had break opportunities in both the seventh and ninth games, Federer getting himself out of trouble with his serve.
The Frenchman was the next to rely on his serve to swerve danger, seeing off three set points in the 12th game and, no doubt buoyed by his escape, rushed to a tie-break win, never looking back after Federer's long forehand offered up a mini break on the first point.
Out of keeping with the match at that point, the third set was a brisk affair, Federer breaking twice early on to take it, but the fourth returned to form, with both men holding through to a tie-break.
Benneteau did have to save three break points in the fifth game but was untroubled apart from that and, at 30-15 on Federer's serve in 12th, had half an opening. Victory, in theory, was two points away.
He could not seize the chance, however, and after saving one set point in the breaker he netted on the next and the match was levelled.
That was the green light Federer needed to reach the finish line first, breaking to love in the fourth game of the decider with a forehand around the net and again in the next Benneteau service game to see it out.
Wimbledon was still coming to terms with Rafael Nadal's shock second-round exit.
The second-seeded Spaniard, a finalist in the last five years he has played, was dumped out by Lukas Rosol, blowing the men's draw wide open.
His defeat to the world number 100 ranks as one of the biggest SW19 shocks in living memory – highlighted by the fact that it remained the hot topic yesterday.
Straight after defending men's champion Novak Djokovic had seen off Radek Stepanek in four sets in round three, he was asked not about his game but the Spaniard.
"You cannot take anyone for granted," Djokovic said.
"You just say congratulations. It serves as an example for everybody that anything is possible in this sport."
When not talking about Nadal's premature exit, Djokovic was responding to suggestions that Great Britain's Andy Murray now has a better chance of winning the tournament with his half of the draw looking easier without the 11-time grand slam winner.
"It really depends. It's not about four players, this is a draw of 128 players," Serbian Djokovic added.
"You can't underestimate any opponent. You have to go slowly and I'm sure Andy is aware of that."
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