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Federer, Nadal stay on course

MONTE CARLO: Rafael Nadal closed in on Monte Carlo Masters history on Thursday while Roger Federer confidently buried his previous day’s heart-stopping brush with humiliation to move into the quarterfinals. Second seed Nadal, chasing a record fourth successive Monte Carlo title, eased past compatriot Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-4, 6-1 to record his 21st win in 22 matches in the principality.

Never in danger

Top seed Federer, who had been just two points away from defeat against world number 137 Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo in the second round, rarely looked in danger as he saw off Frenchman Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-4.

Nadal, who has defeated Federer in the last two finals, now takes on fellow Spaniard David Ferrer.

“It’s never easy to play Juan Carlos on clay so to beat him 6-4, 6-1 is a very good win for me,” said Nadal who has now racked up 95 wins in 96 matches on clay since April 2005.

The triple Roland Garros champion broke in the fourth game of the first set to lead 3-1 before the gritty 13th seeded Ferrero, twice a champion in 2002 and 2003, hit back in the seventh game. But Nadal, whose title last year took him level with Ilie Nastase’s three consecutive wins from 1971-1973, wrapped up the opener with a vicious, deep forehand on his fourth set point.

Nadal was ahead at 2-0 in the second set with a punishing forehand return of a weak Ferrero second service and that soon became 4-0 with a sweet drop shot.

The duo then exchanged breaks which left Nadal with a 5-1 lead which was converted into victory courtesy of a smooth forehand pass.

Shaky start

Federer was again uncertain on his serve, being broken in the third game of the first set to trail World No. 64 Monfils 1-2 before hitting back straightaway against an opponent who had lost both their previous encounters in straight sets.

Federer broke again to lead 4-2, teed up a set point in the ninth game before closing out the opener after 34 minutes.

The Swiss broke to lead 2-1 in the second set before going to three match points on serve in the 10th game. Monfils saved one but went down to defeat with a weary netted return. Ferrer reached his fourth successive Monte Carlo quarterfinal by beating Serbia’s Janko Tipsarevic 6-4, 6-0.

Paes & Knowles lose

On Wednesday, Leander Paes and Paul Hanley crashed out of the tournament with a 4-6, 6-3, 10-3 second-round loss to the second seeded Israeli pair of Andy Ram and Jonathan Erlich.

However, Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles, seeded fourth here, had little trouble in getting past the unseeded Brazilian pair of Marcelo Melo and Andre Sa with a 6-4, 6-3 win.

The results:

Singles: Third round: David Ferrer bt Janko Tipsarevic 6-4, 6-0; Igor Andreev bt Nicolas Almagro 7-5, 4-6, 6-4; Rafael Nadal bt Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-4, 6-1; Roger Federer bt Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-4; Nikolay Davydenko bt Philipp Kohlschreiber 3-6, 7-5, 6-2; David Nalbandian bt Tommy Robredo 6-1, 6-0; Novak Djokovic bt Andy Murray 6-0, 6-4.

Doubles: Second round: Jonathan Erlich & Andy Ram bt Paul Hanley & Leander Paes 4-6, 6-3, 10-3; Mahesh Bhupathi & Mark Knowles bt Marcelo Melo & Andre Sa 6-4, 6-3. — Agencies

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