Federer is through to the last 16 for the third year in a row

Federer was rarely troubled against Italian Starace, racing to a 6-2 6-3 6-0 win in one hour 31 minutes.

Youzhny beat 2003 champion Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 6-2.

Federer's possible quarter-final opponent Ivan Ljubicic is out of the tournament, the seventh seed beaten by Italian Filippo Volandri in five sets.

Volandri, who won 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 4-6 6-3 6-4, is the first Italian man to reach the last 16 for 12 years.

Federer has won all nine of his meetings with Youzhny, including their only match on clay in 2003.

But he said: "Youzhny is an excellent player and he usually plays better against the better players.

"I've never lost a match against him but I have a lot of respect for him and for his game.

It's hard to judge if I'm getting better because the conditions were really difficult for me in the first two rounds.

"I'm happy I haven't lost a set. It came naturally today, especially in the third set. I was playing well, my serve was working well."

David Nalbandian came through a testing encounter with France's Gael Monfils 7-6 (7-5) 5-7 6-4 7-6 (7-5) to book his place in the fourth round.

Backed by the partisan crowd, Monfils produced some inspired tennis - and Nalbandian looked rattled when he dropped the second set.

He was again in trouble after letting slip a 2-0 lead in the fourth, but held his nerve in the tiebreak.

The Argentine now faces in-form Russian Nikolay Davydenko, who breezed into the fourth round with a 6-4 6-2 6-4 win over France's Michael Llodra.

Nalbandian was joined in the fourth round by two other Argentines.