Oldest swingers in town - Tommy Haas and Tommy Robredo - turn back time

They're the oldest swingers in town, with dodgy shoulders, hips, legs and wrists, but men like Tommy Haas and Tommy Robredo are turning back time at the French Open.

Haas is the first 35-year-old in six years to make the last-16 of what is widely regarded as the most gruelling of the four majors.

The German 12th seed, a former world number two, is playing in his 52nd Grand Slam -- only Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt amongst active players have featured in more.

But Haas was cheated out of at least two years of his career with hip and shoulder trouble between 2010 and 2011, which followed missing the entire 2003 campaign as he twice underwent shoulder surgery.

In 2004, his world ranking even plummeted to 1,086.

But last year, Haas was named ATP Comeback Player of the Year before finishing the season as the oldest player in the top 50.

"Now I'm into this tournament I feel confident and can concentrate on the next match. Twelve months ago when I was coming through the qualifiers I wasn't sure where my career was going," said Haas.

On Friday, he beat Jack Sock, 15 years his junior, 7-6, 6-2, 7-5, and next faces another American, John Isner, for a place in the fourth round.

Haas, who first played the French Open in 1998, has never got beyond the last-16 in Paris, but has plenty of Grand Slam pedigree having been a semi-finalist at the 1999 and 2002 Australian Opens, the 2007 US Open and at Wimbledon in 2009.

Robredo is still only 31 -- the same age as Federer -- but missed the 2011 and 2012 French Opens because of a leg injury which sent his world ranking plummeting to 471 just 12 months ago.

His inability to play the 2011 event ended his streak of 45 consecutive Grand Slam appearances.

The former world number five was a quarter-finalist in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009 and on Friday he made the fourth round by saving four match points to defeat French wildcard Gael Monfils 2-6, 6-7, 6-2, 7-6, 6-2.

Robredo can look forward to a clash with compatriot Nicolas Almagro for a place in the quarter-finals.

"It was a hard-fought five-setter. I am very tired. It is not a dream, it is the result of hard work and a great fight. It looked lost but I fought for every point and pulled it out," said Robredo, who is now 34 in the world after starting the year at 114.

Age hasn't dented either Haas's or Robredo's title-winning capabilities.

The Florida-based German captured his 14th career trophy on clay in Munich in the run-up to Paris, while Robredo celebrated an 11th title in Casablanca.

Robredo next faces another major challenge against 11th-seeded Almagro, who has a commanding 5-0 lead in their head-to-head series.

Although Haas and Robredo may be wild outsiders for the title, age is not necessarily a barrier to winning the majors -- Andre Agassi was 32 when he became the oldest Grand Slam champion at the 2003 Australian Open.