World number one Roger Federer shot down a brave challenge from Frenchman Julien Benneteau to go through to the quarter-finals of the French Open with a 6-4 7-5 7-5 victory on Monday.

Benneteau fought tooth and nail for stretches with the top seed and broke the Swiss serve in all three sets, but Federer marched on after two hours and 26 rain-interrupted minutes on Centre Court.

"It was unfortunate I couldn’t serve it out the way I wanted to in the first and second set, but I felt okay out there," said Federer, who moved into the quarters for the fourth successive year.

"I thought I played an okay match. He was playing well, at times very well, and that put me under pressure. I also had to raise my game."

Federer served for both the opening sets only to watch the gangly Benneteau feed off the crowd’s encouragement and break.

He served at 5-3 in the first courtesy of a break in game four, but a long forehand from the Swiss maestro gave Benneteau a second chance.

He could not protect the break though and lost his own serve when he pushed a forehand wide to hand over the set.

Benneteau, who reached the quarters here two years ago, repeated the trick in the second, breaking Federer’s serve at 5-4 with a crosscourt backhand to flummox the advancing Swiss.

But the 12-times grand slam champion broke again in the 12th, a sweet backhand volley giving him a two-set lead.

Federer broke in game four of the third, only for the Frenchman to reply immediately, and his resistance was ended in game 12 when Federer put away an overhead to complete victory on his third match point, raising a solitary fist skywards.

Next up for Federer is Chilean dasher Fernando Gonzalez, a man who trails the Swiss 10-1 in career match-ups but who won their last encounter at the Masters Cup in Shanghai last year.

"It’s important is to serve well (against Gonzalez), and also try to put him on the back foot," he said.

"I think you also have to play aggressive. For me, it’s an interesting match, because last time we played I lost.