The sun finally came out for the first time this week; just in time to illuminate a gritty performance from the fifth seeded Paul-Henri Mathieu who battled for over 2 hours against last year's beaten finalist Feliciano Lopez before finally prevailing 4-6 6-4 7-6(4) in easily the best match of the tournament so far.

Once cruelly labelled as a choker due to his propensity for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, the Frenchman today showed that that label is well and truly obsolete nowadays as he fought his way to victory from a set down; saving a total of 4 break points in the final set.

Lopez got off to a brilliant start, breaking the Mathieu serve twice to race to a 3-0 lead in the opening set. Although the Frenchman got one of the breaks back, the Spaniard who trailed 2-3 in his previous encounters with Mathieu having lost the last three matches, held on to take the set 6-4 in 39 minutes.

With neither man getting so much as a sniff of a break point in the first nine games of the second set, it looked as if it might be decided by a tiebreaker. However, Mathieu had other ideas as Lopez found himself at 15-40 serving at 4-5 following a double fault and a two-handed backhand crosscourt pass from his opponent. He saved the first with an ace, but could do nothing on the second as a beautifully lofted forehand pass down the line brought the score to parity at a set all.

Both men held serve comfortably in the early stages of the final set until Lopez generated three break points for himself with Mathieu serving at 2-2. Suddenly the Frenchman upped the ante; a howitzer forehand drive belted down the line from a deep position, beat the Spaniard for a clean winner to save the first break point. Lopez then squandered the second with a wild forehand return off a kicking second serve, and then cursed himself as Mathieu punished him again with another sublime forehand winner that found the sideline. Two points later, the Frenchman was at 3-2 following a backhand pass that whistled past the net rushing Spaniard for a winner down the line.

With the score at 5-5, Mathieu was under pressure again as he served at break point down. However, the Frenchman breathed a sigh of relief as Lopez netted his forehand return off a second serve kicker.

Both men held on for the tiebreak which Mathieu took control of to earn himself 3 match points at 6-3. Lopez saved the first with a forehand winner, but then conceded the match on the second when his mishit forehand flew over the baseline to bring the epic encounter to a satisfactory conclusion for the elated Frenchman who showed strength of character in the face of adversity.

Mathieu, who realised that the saving of the break points in the fifth game was absolutely crucial, said: "That game was very important for me. Played a great first point and served good until the end of the game. I was a little bit tired so I had to play with something else - serve good and come to the net. I am happy with the victory.

"The tiebreak in the third set, you never know, it can go one way or the other. I just tried to keep the ball in play and make him play."

Mathieu will next face compatriot Gael Monfils in an intruiging quarterfinal. Monfils easily dismissed the challenge of Jiri Vanek 6-1 6-4.

Andre Jones

Roy Emerson Arena

Gstaad