Richard Gasquet insists he will relish the role of Wimbledon bad guy when he heads into his last 16 clash with Andy Murray.

The eighth-seeded Frenchman set up his showdown with the Scot with a relatively straightforward 6-3 6-3 6-7 (3/7) 6-3 victory over compatriot Gilles Simon on Court One today.

Afterwards, the prodigiously-talented Frenchman, whose injuries have scuppered his chances of truly entering the game's elite, pronounced him 100% ready to deal home hopes a fatal blow.

Gasquet said: "I'm feeling great, I have no injuries and I'm ready to fight in another match. I like to play these kinds of matches. I don't care if I'm the villain."

Gasquet has beaten Murray on each of the previous two occasions they have met - the 2007 Paris Masters and the 2006 Toronto Masters - but both those results came on hardcourts.

Gasquet produced what he himself described as one of the best performances of his career to dispose of American Mardy Fish in the first round but against Simon displayed his frustrating tendency to lose focus.

Followers of Gasquet have often struggled to understand why a player rated by many as the most naturally gifted in the game has yet to make his big breakthrough at grand slam level.

However, Gasquet insisted: "I don't know if I have more talent than the other guys, but for sure I'm working really hard. People tell me all the time I'm talented. But I'm working so hard to do it.

"It wasn't my best tennis, but it was good tennis for sure. Step by step, I'm playing well. I'm fighting and I'm serving well. Everything is possible in this tournament."

Gasquet had strolled into a 5-2 first set lead without breaking sweat but suddenly looked lackadaisical when he failed to serve out to take the set, and had to come from a break down twice before moving into a two-set lead.

Simon made him pay by racing through the third set tie-break to extend the match, and had the temerity to break Gasquet in the opening game of the fourth set.

But it always appeared only a matter of time before Gasquet clicked back into gear and he duly did so, breaking Simon twice and ultimately coasting home to a victory which seemed to underline just how much he has left to give.

Janko Tipsarevic built on his epic third-round win over Andy Roddick by beating Dmitry Tursunov 7-6 (7/1) 7-6 (7/3) 6-3 to move into the last 16 of a grand slam for the first time.

Tipsarevic said: "I am proud of myself because I managed to do something which I usually don't, which is to beat a big name and then continue playing with the same intensity and have a more or less comfortable win in the next round."