Top-seeded Roger Federer moved a step closer to becoming the first man in 16 years to win three Grand Slams in a season when he reached the US Open fourth round with a straight-sets win on Saturday.

Federer beat No. 31 Fabrice Santoro 6-0, 6-4, 7-6 (7), managing to solve the puzzling Frenchman who hits two-handed off both sides, changes speeds constantly with all sorts of spins and slices, and disguises it all so well.

Yet Federer wasn't fazed until late in the third set; his mistakes started increasing a bit, and he reacted to one by chopping the net with his racket. He won on his fifth match point in the tiebreaker, an entertaining exchange in which both players hit shots that popped high off the net.

Federer finished with 56 winners to just 37 miscues, an impressive ratio. In comparison, Santoro had 16 winners, 27 errors. Federer erased the only break point he faced, while breaking the Frenchman four times.

It's the fourth straight year Federer has made the round of 16 at Flushing Meadows, but he's never been past that stage. To get to a possible quarterfinal showdown against two-time Open champion Andre Agassi, Federer will have to beat No. 16 Andrei Pavel of Romania or unseeded Lee Hyung-taik of South Korea.

Agassi was to face No. 25 Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic later Saturday, with top women Justine Henin-Hardenne, Lindsay Davenport, Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams also in action.

In one early surprise, Shinobu Asagoe of Japan eliminated No. 13 Paola Suarez, a French Open semifinalist, 6-4, 6-4 to get to the Open's fourth round for the first time. Also, No. 22 Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia beat No. 15 Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand 7-6 (8), 6-3, 6-3.

Federer has won three of the past five majors. In 2004, his 61-6 record and tour-leading eight titles include the Australian Open and Wimbledon. In 1988, Mats Wilander won the Australian, French and US Opens, losing only in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

Federer beat second-ranked Andy Roddick in the final at the All England Club in July, and they could be headed for another title match in New York. On Friday, Roddick scuffed his hand, berated the chair umpire and barely shook hands with Rafael Nadal of Spain when their match was over.

A tough outing for the defending US Open champion? Hardly.

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