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Melzer sets up Djokovic clash

Paris - Jurgen Melzer doesn't care that he is the oldest player left in the French Open. The fact he is still standing in the last eight is all he's interested in.

The 29-year-old Austrian reached his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal Monday with a 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over the Russian qualifier Teimuraz Gabashvili at the clay-court tournament.

"To be the oldest player is not a special feeling," said the 22nd-seeded Melzer. "Reaching the quarterfinals for the first time, that's a special feeling.

"It took such a long time to get here. It still feels great, no matter how old you are."

He will play third-seeded Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals.

Before Roland Garros, Melzer had never got beyond the third round at a Grand Slam in 31 appearances.

As a junior, the left-hander won the boys' title at Wimbledon in 1999. But he has since failed to deliver on the main tour, winning only two tournaments so far, in Bucharest in 2006 and in Vienna last year.

"I had enough game to reach quarterfinals or go far in a Grand Slam, but it was more that I wasn't consistent enough," he said. "I had my chances a few times to go to the fourth round and reach the second week."

Melzer said he improved a lot after hiring former clay-court specialist Joachim Nystrom as a coach in November 2007.

"I think it was very important for me," Melzer said. "I think that is what helped me the most, and the improvement since then is big. Hopefully there is still a few other Grand Slams coming where I will be able to play well."

Gabashvili had won his three previous matches in straight sets, including a 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 win over Andy Roddick, who is a close friend of Melzer's.

"(Roddick) gave me advice," Melzer said. "We had a few text messages. I mean, it was nothing, he didn't tell me any miracles. Being a left-hander is probably a little advantage to play (Gabashvili). And then, of course, I attacked a little more than Andy. That's what he suggested, that I should attack."

Melzer became the first Austrian to reach the quarters at Roland Garros since former champion Thomas Muster in 1998.

"I think Thomas Muster was a role model for every tennis player," Melzer said. "The way he was working, you have to have him as an idol. Playing-wise, I mean, we are like day and night, so of course I was not imitating his style, because I just have a different game. But still, as an athlete, he was an idol."

Gabashvili jumped to a 4-1 lead after breaking Melzer in the fourth game. Playing more aggressively and attacking the net, Melzer broke back and leveled at 4-4.

Melzer, who won 31 points at net, saved two set points on his serve in the 10th game then came back from 4-1 down in the tiebreaker after hitting three consecutive winners.

He saved a third set point when Gabashvili sent a forehand wide and closed out the set on his first chance with a forehand volley.

Gabashvili broke in the second game of the second set and managed to keep his lead by dictating the play from the baseline.

But he struggled with his forehand in the third set, losing his serve immediately before Melzer broke again and served out the set in just 26 minutes.

Melzer made the decisive break in the ninth game of the fourth set and sealed his win when Gabashvili buried a forehand in the net.

He is looking forward to the challenge of playing Djokovic.

"I'm confident," Melzer said. "I mean, I'm in the quarterfinals. I have played good matches here, and I think I have enough game to go in there and beat him."

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