Roger Federer survived a French Open second round scare on Thursday when unheralded Argentine Jose Acasuso threw away a golden opportunity to cause a major Roland Garros sensation.
World number two Federer, claimed a 7-6 (10/8), 5-7, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 win but Acasuso was left to regret wasting four set points in the opening set and another in the third where he twice served for a 2-1 lead.
Acasuso, who has only progressed beyond the second round of a Grand Slam once in 28 attempts, cut a weary figure by the end, worn down as much by his own physical shortcomings as the Swiss star's pinpoint hitting.
Federer, the runner-up to Rafael Nadal here for the past three years and still missing a French Open from his 13-title Grand Slam collection, now faces either French 32nd seed Paul-Henri Mathieu or Pablo Andujar of Spain for a place in the last 16.
Acasuso broke first to lead 4-2 before Federer immediately hit back. The Argentinian then squandered four set points in the first set tiebreaker and Federer made him pay when he secured the opener with a deft drop shot.
Despite going a break down early in the second set, the 26-year-old Acasuso roared back in the third and nipped ahead at 6-5. He levelled the tie when he drove deep with a crunching forehand which Federer could only push back into the base of the net.
Breaks in the first and third games of the third set gave Acasuso a 4-0 lead although his movement became affected when he twisted his right ankle trying to stretch to a Federer pass in the fifth game.
Acasuso wasted a set point in the eighth game as Federer sped from 1-5 down to 6-5 in front before the South American stopped the rot to take the set into another tiebreaker. Federer cruised through that and then the fourth set against a shattered Acasuso to keep his Roland Garros campaign on track.
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