The clank of seats in the press tribune as the third set closed in Roger Federer's favour came as a wondrous cacophony. The judges knew he would win now, that the final judgment of his French Open championship would be delayed a couple more days at best, with his place in the third round secure. But how much of Roland Garros is left for him?

Federer ought to have lost the first set yesterday to José Acasuso, of Argentina, he lost the second, he should have lost the third and he won the fourth barely breaking sweat. At the conclusion of a 7-6, 5-7, 7-6, 6-2 victory, he said it was a fun match.

I suppose it all depends on your definition of fun. Actually, the statistics bear out his assertion - 72 winners to Acasuso's 39, 13 errors at the net from 48 advances (although his forehand volley remains slapdash) and a success rate of 71 per cent when his first serves hit the spot. Incredible, then, that it could have worked out really quite horribly.

That was as much to do with Acasuso - beaten to a pulp by Andy Murray at this stage here last year - never playing as if he believed that he would win. Indeed, the non-clankers among the press were the Argentinians, who preferred to watch Juan Martín del Potro on Court No 7 at the same time because they were certain he would win, as indeed he did.

It is hard to shake off the label of a “non-winner”, especially when you are No 45 in the world, but in grand-slam tournament terms, Acasuso had been beyond the second round once in 27 attempts, on these courts four years ago, and was beaten in the first round of three of his four events in the European stretch before the French Open.

In short, had he beaten Federer, it would have been a monumental embarrassment for the 13-times grand-slam champion and probably ended any hope that he had of adding this championship to the collection.

“Mentally, I've always been very strong but I'm not put in a position like this very often.” Federer said. “He made it really difficult for me today. I was looking for my game midway through the third set, just trying to get the rallies going my way. The conditions took away my game plan, which was a bit more complex because you can't just attack the net blindly and try to bluff your way through a match like this, especially best of five sets. Clearly, it takes away options.”

Asked if he was a bit worried when he trailed 5-1 in the third set, he replied: “Yes, a bit. But I was not afraid to die so everything was OK.”

Perhaps it is best to have a liking for gallows humour when you are Federer on clay. He said recently that he does not enjoy being regarded as the second-best player on the surface, because he has never been able to get his mind around being second-best at anything. Federer is admired - loved even - here more than anywhere in the game because the French push devotions to the limit for someone who has tried so hard and is yet to succeed.

“I am not trying to seduce the crowd,” Federer said. “I just try and play beautiful tennis. If they like it, great. If not, there is nothing I can do. Being a fair player with regards to your opponent, with regards to the game, with regards to the people, is very important to me.”

It is true to say that the Williams family have never been that favoured here, although there was no denying that Venus cemented herself a little more in the affections yesterday, when she fought back from a match point down to defeat Lucie Safarova, of the Czech Republic, 6-7, 6-2, 7-5, producing her most formidable tennis the deeper in trouble she became.

It is this ability to conjure a piece of magic when required, which separates the many from the few. Venus struck a glorious double-handed backhand winner to keep herself alive in the match, a carbon copy of the shot produced when match point down to Lindsay Davenport in the 2005 Wimbledon final. Quel courage.