Nicolas Almagro has reached his third French Open quarter-final by knocking out eighth seed Janko Tipsarevic.
After an even opening eight games, Spaniard Almagro made a crucial break in the ninth before serving out the opener 6-4.
The second began in equally tough fashion for Tipsarevic as he was taken to deuce by Almagro but this time managed to hold on to move ahead in the set.
The pair continued to trade holds before Tipsarevic failed to take advantage of a break opportunity in game seven and he was made to pay for this sluggishness.
Almagro did what his opponent couldn't and broke through before going on to take the second by the same 6-4 scoreline as the first.
Clay-court specialist Almagro, who has never got further than the fourth round at another grand slam, maintained his consistency in the third, with his technically-sound one-handed backhand regularly doing the business when Tipsarevic approached the net.
He again broke the Serbian's serve in the opening game of the third but this time Tipsarevic fought back by levelling the set in the next.
Despite this brief show of spirit from Tipsarevic, he was again broken at 2-2 and this time Almagro stretched out a two-game lead by holding in the sixth game.
Both men held their remaining service games as Almagro wrapped up another 6-4 set to take the match. The 26-year-old, who will next face either Juan Monaco or Rafael Nadal in the last eight, is yet to lose a set at Roland Garros this year.
