Kim Clijsters greets Daniela Hantuchova after beating her 6-4, 6-2 at Roland Garros on Friday. (AP)

Paris: Top seed Lindsay Davenport outlasted French darling Virginie Razzano to reach the fourth round of the claycourt Grand Slam on Friday despite the stifling heat and a vociferous Roland Garros crowd.

The world No. 1 shuffled home 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 to set up a fourth-round clash with twice French Open runner-up and former world No. 1 Kim Clijsters ? a player she has not beaten in their last six matches.

By contrast, men’s top seed Roger Federer made light work of his opponent and barely broke into a sweat as he beat Chilean Fernando Gonzalez 7-6, 7-5, 6-2.

“It’s a job well done so far. I haven’t lost a set,” the Swiss smiled. “Through to the fourth round...now I’m where I want to be: fit and through to the second week.”

Runaway world No. 1 Federer plays former champion and former top-ranked player Carlos Moya who overcame Fernando Vicente 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 0-6, 6-4 in three hours 51 minutes for a 12th straight victory against his fellow Spaniard.

Once again Davenport, chasing the only Grand Slam to have eluded her, was forced to triumph the hard way, fighting back from 0-4 down in the first set and 0-3 down in the second.

“Every match has gone three sets. I’ve struggled in all of them,” Davenport said. “But I’m starting to think that it could be one of my, not best but one of my greatest achievements in a while just to be able to still be here and still be playing.

“I feel like I’ve done a really good job, even though I feel like I’m not playing well, of hanging in there and winning these matches, even though it’s not coming very easily.

“I’m pretty amazed I’m still in given how I feel I’ve been playing. Gives me a laugh, I guess...gets me happy,” she grinned.

Davenport is unlikely to have much time for laughing when she faces Clijsters on Sunday.

Herself a former world No. 1, Clijsters’ performance belied fears she is still hampered by a knee injury as she romped past Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 6-2.

The Belgian, runner-up here in 2001 and 2003, has lost just 10 games in her three matches so far. Clijsters controlled her match throughout but said she still expected to raise her game.

“I’m working my way into my matches, and I’m winning them. I feel like every match is getting a little bit better. I haven’t lost a set yet, so I’m not complaining.

The Belgian said her knee, which was again heavily taped, was feeling better.

“I think it’s good,” she smiled. “It’s holding up during my matches but it’s still not good enough to play without the tape, especially not on this surface yet.”

Paes up, Sania out

Leander Paes moved up but Sania Mirza bowed out of the doubles competition on Friday.

Paes and Nenad Zimonjic, the sixth seeds in men’s doubles, steamrolled local pair Nicolas Devilder and Marc Gicquel 6-1, 6-3 to reach the pre-quarter finals. The Indo-Serbian pair, which won back-to-back titles last month, will next face Czech duo Frantisek Sermak and Leos Friedl.

Sania’s campaign came to an end when she and Russian partner Anna Chakvetadze went down 6-4, 5-7, 2-6 to 16th seeds Zi Yan and Jie Zhang of China in Round 2. The Indian teenager had earlier lost in the first round of singles. (Agencies)