Roger Federer after his win over Italy’s Potito Starace at Roland Garros on Friday. Federer won 6-2, 6-3, 6-0

Paris: Filippo Volandri became the first Italian man in more than a decade to reach the fourth round of the French Open when he defeated seventh seed Ivan Ljubicic 6-4, 6-7, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 Friday.

Croatian Ljubicic reached the semi-finals here last year but he failed to recapture that form and slid out after battling for almost four hours.

Volandri, the world number 34, beat Roger Federer in Rome last month, one of only three players to do so this year, and he said victory had fuelled his confidence.

“Of course. When I’m on court now I feel more secure, even on the tough points,” said the 25-year-old who could face the Swiss again if he beats Tommy Robredo in the last 16.

Renzo Furlan was the last Italian to reach the last 16 at Roland Garros, going on to reach the quarter finals where he lost to Sergi Bruguera in 1995.

In the women’s singles third round, Venus Williams was knocked out by fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 4-6, 6-1.

Venus, who reached the final at Roland Garros in 2002 but missed the last two Grand Slam tournaments because of injuries, also lost to Jankovic in the third round at Wimbledon last year.

“I got a little bit tired at the end,” Williams said. “It’s tough on clay.”

Serena Williams and two-time defending champion Justine Henin also won, while top-ranked Roger Federer had no problems moving into the fourth round in the men’s draw. Federer won the final nine games of his 6-2, 6-3, 6-0 victory over Potito Starace of Italy.

Serena, who won the French Open title in 2002, had little trouble beating Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands 6-3, 6-4. Henin, celebrating her 25th birthday, defeated No. 28 Mara Santangelo 6-2, 6-3. The world number one, chasing a fourth title here in five years, settled the issue against 31st-ranked Santangelo as the crowd chanted ‘Happy Birthday’.

Federer, bidding for a fourth consecutive Grand Slam title, next faces No. 13 Mikhail Youzhny of Russia. Youzhny, a semi-finalist at last year’s U.S. Open, beat 2003 French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3), 6-2, 6-2.

In other matches, fourth-ranked Nikolay Davydenko beat Michael Llodra of France 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 to reach the fourth round, while No. 9 Tommy Robredo of Spain defeated Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 and No. 19 Guillermo Canas of Argentina beat Kristof Vliegen of Belgium 6-2, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3.

David Nalbandian survived a tough third-round match against Gael Monfils of France, winning 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (5). Igor Andreev of Russia, who upset third-seeded Andy Roddick in the first round, advanced to the third round by beating Nicolas Massu of Chile 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

On the women’s side, sixth-seeded Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic reached the fourth round by beating 27th-seeded Samantha Stosur of Australia 6-4, 6-4.

Also, No. 20 Sybille Bammer of Austria beat 16th-seeded Li Na of China 6-4, 6-3, while No. 12 Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia and No. 19 Tathiana Garbin of Italy also advanced.

Garbin reached the fourth round by beating Stephanie Cohen-Aloro of France 6-3, 6-0, and Hantuchova got to the third round by defeating Olga Poutchkova of Russia 7-6 (6), 6-3.

Thirteenth-seeded Elena Dementieva of Russia was upset, losing to No. 18 Marion Bartoli of France 6-2, 6-4. In her 22nd Grand Slam, Bartoli will be making her first appearance in the fourth round.