Nadal, Djokovic cruise through as Kyrgios exits in disgrace
ROME: Defending champion Rafael Nadal and top seed Novak Djokovic raced through in straight sets to the quarter-finals of the Italian Open on Thursday.
However, Australian firebrand Nick Kyrgios was disqualified after a foul-mouthed rant during his thirdround match against Norway's Casper Ruud which could land him with a lengthy suspension.
Nadal dropped just two games throughout the day, dispatching Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-1, 6-0 in the third round after earlier also dropping just one game against France's Jeremy Chardy.
"I have been improving every week," said Nadal, who next plays fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco as he targets a first title on clay this season before his French Open defence.
"It's been a peculiar clay court season for me. I had some tough period of time. Has been little bit difficult to hold the body and the tennis level for every day."
Djokovic, winner in Madrid last Sunday, beat German Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 6-0 after earlier easing past Canadian Denis Shapovalov 6-1, 6-3.
The four-time Italian Open winner next plays Argentine seventh seed Juan Martin Del Potro for a place in the semi-finals.
"I like the fact that I didn't play yesterday because I felt like I needed an extra maybe day of rest and recovery a little bit," said the Serb. "So it was perfect."
In the women's event, Japan's Naomi Osaka, the top seed, also won twice to retain the world number one ranking ahead of the start of the French Open.
She eased into the last eight with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Mihaela Buzarnescu after earlier beating Slovak Dominika Cibulkova by the same scoreline.
Osaka was at risk of losing her world number one ranking to Simona Halep but the Romanian was knocked out by Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova losing 2-6, 75, 6-3.
Halep's defeat also guarantees Osaka's top seeding at the French Open.
Kyrgios's tournament finished early after he threw a chair across court in a tantrum, before storming off and being disqualified.
The controversial 24-year-old, who had marked his presence in Rome by criticising Djokovic and Nadal in an interview on Wednesday, started arguing with the umpire in the third set.
World number 36 Kyrgios had levelled the match at one set all but was given a game penalty early on in the third set for swearing.
His response was to kick out at a water bottle before throwing a chair onto the court, packing his bag and then storming off court, shouting 'I am fucking done''
Kyrgios was automatically disqualified with Ruud winning 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 2-1 to advance to the third round before losing to del Potro.