Third seed Stan Wawrinka strode into the last-16 at Roland Garros on Saturday with a straight-sets win over Italy’s Fabio Fognini.

The Swiss saved four set points as Fognini twice served for the opening set, with the volatile 28th seed then capitulating and Wawrinka powering to a 7-6(2), 6-0, 6-2 victory. Fognini, however, looked to be grappling with an injury to his left knee as he lost steam after gaining the upper-hand initially in the match.

Addressing the crowd after his match, the Swiss No 1 said, “It was a really great first set and I’m really pleased with how I battled. I moved a lot better after that first set. It’s very difficult to play Fabio because he’s really unpredictable. He can play very quickly and can vary the tempo a lot.”

Wawrinka, who won the title here in Paris in 2015, in a memorable final against Novak Djokovic, also shared, “I’ve got great memories of Roland-Garros from my last few years and it’s always great to return. With every round it gets tougher but I feel really good. I hope to carry on in the same vein.”

Wawrinka will meet the lone remaining Frenchman for a place in the quarter-final, facing either 15th seed Gael Monfils or 24th seeded Richard Gasquet.