Paris, France –  Former champion and four-time runner-up Roger Federer was among Friday's third-round winners at the French Open.

The third-seeded former world No. 1 superstar got past game Frenchman Nicolas Mahut 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 in the nightcap on Court Chatrier.

The 16-time major titlist Federer captured the French Open in 2009 to complete a career Grand Slam and has been the runner-up to Rafael Nadal here on four occasions, including last year.

Up next for the amazing Swiss, seeking his first Grand Slam title in more than two years, will be upstart Belgian David Goffin.

Also on Friday, former Australian Open runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, former Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych and former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro moved on at the year's second Grand Slam event.

The fifth-seeded heavy French crowd favorite Tsonga handled Italian Fabio Fognini 7-5, 6-4, 6-4, while the seventh-seeded Czech slugger Berdych fought off 31st-seeded South African Kevin Anderson in five sets, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-4, on the famed red clay at Stade Roland Garros. Berdych moved on in 3 hours, 52 minutes with the help of four service breaks, compared to two for Anderson, who bowed out despite popping 22 aces.

Berdych reached the French Open semifinals in 2010, the same year he finished as the Wimbledon runner-up.

The ninth-seeded del Potro, meanwhile, cruised past 21st-seeded Croat Marin Cilic 6-3, 7-6 (9-7), 6-1 to set-up a showdown with Berdych on Sunday.

Swiss strongman Stan Wawrinka ousted 11th-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon in a five-set struggle, 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-2. The 18th seed prevailed in 4 hours, 37 minutes to set-up a fourth-round date with another Frenchman in Tsonga.

In-form Italian Andreas Seppi, seeded 22nd at this French fortnight, upended 14th-seeded Spanish lefthander Fernando Verdasco in five sets, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, to reach the round of 16. Seppi titled on clay in Belgrade last month.

Another third-round result saw the aforementioned Goffin ground Pole Lukasz Kubot 7-6 (7-4), 7-5, 6-1.

One final second-round result this week saw 20th-seeded Spaniard Marcel Granollers sneak past Tunisian Malek Jaziri 7-6 (7-1), 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 in a match that was suspended because of darkness here on Thursday.