The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Nadal into last eight at Monte Carlo Masters
TOP SEED: World No 1 bidding for 11th title – but it’s an early exit for Djokovic
World No 1 Rafael Nadal maintained his bid for an 11th Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters title yesterday with a 6-3 6-2 third-round victory over Karen Khachanov.
The Spanish top seed took just 80 minutes to see off the 21-year-old Russian and reach his 14th consecutive quarterfinal at the event.
Nadal will face now Dominic Thiem after the Austrian fought back to dump out Novak Djokovic, playing just his ninth tour match in as many months, 6-7 (2/7) 6-2 6-3.
Fifth seed Thiem needed two hours and 29 minutes to finally account for the 2013 and 2015 champion after letting slip three set points in the first.
The former world No 1, however, stayed positive, saying: “That obviously gives me a lot of positive energy for what’s coming up.”
Marin Cilic received a walkover after third-round opponent Milos Raonic was forced to withdraw with a knee injury, and the second seed will face Japan’s Kei Nishikori in last eight after his 6-0 2-6 6-3 victory over Andreas Seppi.
Grigor Dimitrov, seeded fourth, set up a quarter-final meeting with sixth seed David Goffin by beating Philipp Kohlschreiber 4-6 6-3 6-4 as the Belgian edged past Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4 7-5.
Richard Gasquet reached a significant landmark when he defeated Mischa Zverev 6-2 7-5 to record the 500th win of his career, the first Frenchman to do so. Gasquet will now face Zverev’s younger brother Alexander after the German defeated compatriot JanLennard Struff 6-4 4-6 6-4.