With Rafael Nadal out of the French Open, the spotlight now focuses to his long-time rival, Roger Federer.

Twenty four hours after Nadal was eliminated, Federer was in the brink of joining the Spaniard in the loser’s lounge.

Last Monday, Federer dropped the first two sets against Tommy Haas before securing a 6-7 (4), 5-7, 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 victory over the German in their fourth round match in Roland Garros. The win secured a quarterfinals berth for the Swiss tennis player.

He gathered momentum with one particular forehand that managed to disrupt Haas’ rhythm. “That saved me,” Federer said about the shot. “I was in quite some danger.” 

With two more wins, Federer will reach the French Open final for the fourth time. This is the only Grand Slam championship he has yet to win. In the past three finals matches, Nadal had defeated him. But the world’s number one tennis player is now out of the tournament, opening the door for number two.

His next opponent will be Gael Monfils of France, who defeated sixth-seeded Andy Roddick to advance in the tournament. Federer is 4-0 against Monfils.

When Federer was interviewed by the press about Nadal, he joked saying: “Um, he didn’t retire, right?”

“My dream scenario is to beat Rafa here in the finals,” Federer explained, “but I’ve got to concentrate on my part of the draw and make sure I come through like today.”