ROGER FEDERER denies there is any extra pressure on him now arch-rival Rafael Nadal is no longer in the running for the French Open title.

Second seed Federer almost followed reigning champion Nadal out of Roland Garros yesterday, the Swiss recovering from two sets down to defeat Germany’s Tommy Haas in a fourth-round thriller on Philippe Chatrier court.

The world number two faced a break point at 3-4 down in the third set against Haas, saving it with a wonderful inside-out cross-court forehand.

That was the catalyst for a recovery that puts him back on course to claim the only grand-slam title not in his collection.

But he insists things have not suddenly got easier because Nadal, the deposed king of the Parisian clay, has fallen by the wayside.

‘‘Sure it was a big upset,’’ Federer said of the Spaniard’s four-set defeat to unheralded Swede Robin Soderling on Sunday.

‘‘But the focus wasn’t on that. Of course the dream scenario is to beat Rafa here in the final but I’ve got to concentrate on my part of the draw and make sure I come through like today.

‘‘Tommy Haas was very good today and that is where my focus was.’’ Federer did not drop a single point in his first six service games but he still lost the first set, on a tie-break.

He went a break up at the start of the second set but his game suddenly went missing, his returns went awry and Haas seized the initiative.

He broke twice to take the set and capitalised on more Federer foibles to go 40-30 up with the Swiss serving 3-4 down.

Federer’s superb forehand saved the day and he won that game, and the following eight, to turn the match on its head.

‘‘In a situation like that, you don’t really think about who is out of the draw or not,’’ said the 13-time grand-slam champion.

‘‘You just try to come through yourself and it’s hard enough staying positive when you’re down two sets to love and a break point.

‘‘It was a great battle for me and I’m thrilled to be through and given another chance.’’ Federer reckons Nadal’s exit will only affect him if he makes Sunday’s final. He has lost to the Mallorcan in the last three finals, and in the semi-finals in 2005.

‘‘I’m used to any kind of situation so it doesn’t affect me in a big way,’’ he added.

‘‘It definitely changes it up if I were to make the final. But we’re not there yet, so honestly it hasn’t changed a whole lot for me.’’ In the other completed last- 16 match, 16th seed Tommy Robredo made the quarter-finals here for the fourth time thanks to his 6-4 5-7 7-6 (7/4) 6- 2 win over Philipp Kohlschreiber.

Meanwhile, a forehand considered arguably the biggest in tennis stands between Andy Murray and an unexpected place in the French Open semi-finals.

Fernando Gonzalez, Murray’s opponent today in the last eight, has this tournament shrugged off his mercurial image and is playing at a consistently high level.

And then he has his killer weapon, his forehand, which is really firing and was the main source of his 50 winners in his fourth-round rout of 30th seed Victor Hanescu in straight sets.

Murray knows all about the Chilean 12th seed – he practised with him last week – and the British number one realises he could be left with egg on his face if he leaves Gonzalez easy, mid-court ball.

‘‘Playing against him in practice is not necessarily the same as playing against him in matches,’’ said the Scot, who has a 1-1 record against the South American.

‘‘He’s very unpredictable which makes it tough to play against him.

‘‘I have to play a very consistent match and keep the ball deep. You don’t want to leave the ball in the middle of the court against him. He’s got a huge forehand.’’ Murray will of course be wary of that forehand of Gonzalez, who has yet to drop a set at this year’s Roland Garros.

But there is mutual respect between the two players, considering the Briton’s excellent form on the Parisian clay this past week.

‘‘Murray is number three in the world and he deserves it,’’ said Gonzalez. Gonzalez beat Murray in Basel in 2005 but the Scot turned the tables at last year’s US Open.