Paris: World No. 2 Roger Federer teetered on the brink of defeat before turning on the style to down Germany's Tommy Haas 6-7, 5-7, 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 and reach the quarter-finals of the French Open on Monday.
The 27-year-old Swiss, chasing the only Grand Slam title to have eluded him, was two sets and 3-4 down facing a break point when he recovered to hold serve and went on to win eight games in a row.
"Tommy played a great match, I struggled to get into the encounter," said the 13-times Grand Slam champion.
"He was serving very well, first serve, second serve, I really had trouble returning. I just needed for him to play a bad game. Winning a five-set match gives you a lot of information and it gives you more motivation for the next match," said Federer, who had also needed five sets to beat Haas in the last 16 at the 2006 Australian Open.
He broke in the fifth and seventh games of the decider and never looked back, wrapping up victory on his second match point after three hours seven minutes.
Hot favourite
Federer, hot favourite to win the title after world No. 1 and four-times champion Rafael Nadal was beaten on Sunday, will next face either France's Gael Monfils or American Andy Roddick.
Asked who he would prefer to face, Federer grinned: "I'm 18-2 against Roddick so you can imagine who."
It briefly seemed Federer would stroll past Haas as he won all his service games to love in the first set.
But things did not go his way in the tiebreak when he missed a couple of routine shots to let Haas take a 5-2 lead and the German wrapped up the set after 47 minutes.
The Swiss broke in the third game of the second set with a dipping backhand winner that Haas failed to scoop over the net.
The world No. 2 lost his first point on a service game in the following game.
Haas kept up the pressure and broke back for 4-4 when Federer sent a forehand wide.
The Swiss hit a string of unforced errors that allowed his opponent to set up a couple of set points.
He saved the first one with a fine second serve but netted a flat forehand on the second as clouds started to gather above Centre Court.
Unlike the day before, when fans chanted Robin Soderling's name as the Swede destroyed Nadal, the crowd loudly backed Federer, with almost 15,000 people roaring when he saved a break point at 3-4 in the third set.
"When I hit that forehand to save a break point at 3-4 in the third, I had the feeling it could be a turning point in the match," said the second seed.
"After that, the atmosphere was great," he said.
Haas totally faded away, managing only 10 points in a 21-minute fourth set. Federer's fans felt a shiver at the beginning of the fifth set when Haas won the first six points but the Swiss kept his composure to finish the job, smashing the ball with a rip-roaring scream in celebration afterwards.
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