MIAMI: World No 1 and top seed Roger Federer was sent crashing out of the Miami Masters dropping a 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (8/6) fourth round marathon contest to Czech Tomas Berdych.

Federer struggled to find his form on Tuesday in an almost three hour match on the hardcourts at Crandon Park. The reigning Australian Open champion suffered just his second loss to Berdych in 10 career meetings. Berdych, the 16th seed, saved one match point in a third set tiebreaker. He hammered six aces and won 67 per cent of his first service points to snap an eight match losing streak to the Swiss superstar.

Six-time Grand Slam champ Rafael Nadal and American Andy Roddick were two of eight seeded players to advance to the quarter-finals on Tuesday. Nadal outlasted fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 7-6 (7/5), 6-4. Just five of the top 10 and two of the top five seeds remain in the draw as the only two unseeded players were eliminated on Tuesday.

Nadal next faces Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, against whom he owns a 4-1 lead in their head-to-head series. But Tsonga recorded an impressive win over Nadal in the 2008 Australian Open semi-finals. Former champion Andy Roddick continued his mastery over Benjamin Becker by beating the unseeded German 7-6 (6/4), 6-3. Roddick improved to 23-4 this year and advanced to his seventh quarter-final in 11 previous appearances in the event.

Also, in the men’s fourth round, American Mardy Fish — who knocked out Andy Murray in the second round — retired with a back injury trailing Mikhail Youzhny 6-1, 1-0. Roland Garros finalist Robin Soderling reached the Miami quarter-finals for the first time with a 6-0, 6-7 (7/3), 6-2 win over Chilean Fernando Gonzalez. Eighth seeded Tsonga beat No 12 Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-2, 6-2, and Nicolas Almagro eliminated Thomaz Bellucci 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/3).

In women’s play, Venus Williams, the oldest quarter-finalist at 29, beat Agnieszka Radwanska 6-3, 6-1 to advance to the semis. Third seeded Venus has won 14 matches in a row, and two more would give her three straight tournament titles for the first time since 2002. She hammered eight aces and lost only five points on her first serve. She struggled with her backhand but won 15 of 19 net points to reach the semis where she will face France’s Marion Bartoli who beat Yanina Wickmayer 6-4, 7-5.