Roger Federer outclassed Tommy Robredo 6-2, 6-3 at the Hamburg Masters on Thursday to set up a quarter-final showdown with Argentine Guillermo Coria, the player he beat in last year's final.
The Swiss world number one sprayed winners all over the Rothenbaum centre court to record his sixth win in as many meetings with Spaniard Robredo and signal his return to peak form 11 days before the start of the French Open.
Argentine Coria also produced some sublime shots in his 6-4, 6-3 win over Mario Ancic, earning applause even from his Croatian opponent when a devastating backhand down the line brought him victory.
"I've got my confidence back," said the 10th seed, a loser to Spanish teenager Rafael Nadal in the finals of both the Monte Carlo and Rome Masters on clay this past month.
Britain's Tim Henman and Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero, meanwhile, suffered demoralising defeats.
Fifth seed Henman, a semi-finalist at Roland Garros last year, lost 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 to Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela while 2003 French Open champion Ferrero went down 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 to Russian Nikolay Davydenko.
Henman's game fell apart on centre court after a controversial line call at 4-4 in the second set.
At break point down, Chela served a second service ace which Henman thought was out but the chair umpire ruled in the Argentine's favour. The world number 40 dominated after that and Henman's misery was summed up when he hit a smash out to lose the match.
Henman, who made 46 unforced errors, claimed the umpire had identified the wrong ball mark on the court and television replays suggested the serve was out.
"What can you do about that?" said the 30-year-old Englishman.
"It was a critical time. On clay there is an art to picking up the marks and it seems he hasn't got it."
Chela's victory avenged his defeat by Henman in the quarter-finals of last year's French Open and he will face either Belgian Christophe Rochus or fellow Argentine Gaston Gaudio in the last eight.
GIFTED GASQUET
Ferrero, who beat third seed Marat Safin in the second round, also lost his way after a good first set against Davydenko, the world number 20.
The Spaniard could not cope with the Russian on court one as Davydenko set up a quarter-final against either Sebastien Grosjean of France or Italy's Filippo Volandri.
Gifted French 18-year-old Richard Gasquet demolished Slovakia's Domink Hrbaty 6-1 6-2 to set up a quarter-final against Italian qualifier Andreas Seppi, who upset Czech Jiri Novak 6-3 6-4.
Gasquet, ranked 56 in the world, beat Federer in one of the shock results of the season at the Monte Carlo Masters last month.
French Open champion Gaudio was scheduled to play Rochus in Thursday's evening match on centre court.
