Federer made sure the dream stayed alive when he overwhelmed Frenchman Monfils to advance to his 20th successive grand slam semi-final.
"I was very nervous before this match, yesterday and today," said the 27-year-old, who now stands just two matches away from equalling Pete Sampras's record of 14 grand slam titles.
"But I have a lot of experience. I know that when I step on the court, I will play well. Or very well."
He awaits the winner of the day's second semi-final between Argentine fifth seed Juan Martin Del Potro and Spaniard Tommy Robredo.
A new name will also be engraved on the women's trophy after a courageous Svetlana Kuznetsova exacted sweet revenge on Serena Williams to reach the last four.
Williams had been the last former champion left standing at Roland Garros and Kuznetsova, who rolled her ankle in the second set, handed the American second seed a 7-6 5-7 7-5 defeat.
The Russian world number seven will face doubles specialist Samantha Stosur after the Australian expelled Romanian high school student Sorana Cirstea with a 6-1 6-3 victory to reach her first major semi-final.
The other semi will be contested between world number one Dinara Safina and Slovak 20th seed Dominika Cibulkova.
Kuznetsova had suffered two successive three-set losses to Williams over the past year and seemed poised to end that run when she led by a set, 4-2 and 40-30.
Turned Ankle
But chasing after a Williams shot, she turned her ankle awkwardly and collapsed behind the baseline wincing in pain. As Williams looked over concerned from the other side of the net, she picked herself up, covered from head to shoe in red clay.
The Russian quickly dusted herself down and jumped on her ankle to prove that she could not be knocked out that easily.
Although she dropped her serve immediately and Williams levelled the match with an ace, Kuznetsova never allowed the American to find her comfort zone.
Even when the 10-times grand slam champion had streaked into a 3-1 lead in the decider, Kuznetsova kept snapping at her heels and pulled level two games later.
Kuznetsova piled on the agony when she earned two match- points on the Williams serve in the 10th game but fluffed both with forehand errors. There would be no respite two games later.
"In the third I had an opportunity and I got really tight, and I pretty much gave it to her," said the 2002 champion, who had a 5-1 record over Kuznetsova going into the match.
Romania's Cirstea had to play truant from school to take part in the French Open and the 19-year-old she seemed daunted by the occasion.
Stosur, who is six years her senior and has won 22 doubles titles including the 2006 French Open and 2005 U.S. Open, ran her ragged and dished out harsh claycourt lessons on Suzanne Lenglen Court.
