All the complaints about lousy weather, windy courts and rotten schedules were forgotten as the sun finally shined on birthday boy Rafa Nadal's pursuit of a record eighth French Open title on Monday.

Nadal spent the first week labelling Paris "too cold", the Chatrier Court "too windy" and the playing schedule "a joke" after three wobbly performances, but he was all smiles as the mercury finally crept over 20 C for the first time in this year's event.

The Spaniard, bidding to become the first player to win the same major eight times, took a step closer to a possible semi-final blockbuster against Novak Djokovic with a 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 last-16 win over Japan's Kei Nishikori.

After the fans serenaded Nadal by singing Happy Birthday, the 27-year-old smiled sheepishly as organizers wheeled out a giant, four-tier cake decorated with rackets, golden tennis balls and an array of sparklers.

Nadal's grin would have grown wider after watching his next opponent, Stanislas Wawrinka, dragged into a four-hour struggle before the Swiss squeezed past French favorite Richard Gasquet 6-7(5) 4-6 6-4 7-5 8-6.

Just how Wawrinka's weary body will recover for the task ahead is anyone's guess, but for now Wawrinka will be glad to have survived a lively marathon in which he raged against the umpire, ordering him to "change the guy...making the bad linecalls", and produced 92 rip-roaring winners.

Kohlschreiber earned the distinction of becoming the first player to snatch a set off Djokovic at the tournament, but that was as good as it got for the German.

Top seed Djokovic, who left Roland Garros in tears two days ago after learning of the death of his first coach, Jelena Gencic, kept his emotions in check for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win.

Describing Gencic as his "second mother", Djokovic said her death had strengthened his resolve to win the only Grand Slam title missing from his collection.

"I feel in her honor that I need to go all the way. It gives me that inner strength to push even harder," he said.

Women's champion Maria Sharapova knows how it feels to lift the French Open cup, and she put American upstart Sloane Stevens in her place with a 6-4 6-3 defeat. She will next run into Serbia's Jelena Jankovic.

Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka's clash with 2010 Roland Garros winner Francesca Schiavone had been billed as the pick of the fourth-round games, but it failed to draw the crowds.

The discerning Parisian fans chose to turn a deaf ear to the ear-splitting sounds emitted by both women on Philippe Chatrier Court first thing in the morning as third seed Azarenka won 6-3 6-0 to set up a last-eight date with Russian Maria Kirilenko.

It was only when a victorious Azarenka twirled around to blow kisses to the four corners of the court that fans began to flood in - ready for Djokovic's game with Kohlschreiber.

(China Daily 06/05/2013 page24)