Bopanna-Cuevas advance to quarterfinals

Rohan Bopanna and his partner Pablo Cuevas knocked out fifth seeds Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram after a three-set battle to progress to the quarterfinals of the ATP Monte Carlo Masters event.

The unseeded Indo-Uruguay pair pipped the Protea-American combination 6-7(6) 6-4 10-6 in the pre quarterfinals. They next face top seeded team of Henri Kontinen from Finland and Australia’s John Peers, who ensured exit of Novak Djokovic and Victor Troicki with a 6-3 6-4 win.

Andy Murray has dismissed suggestions that the pressure of being the world’s top tennis player is affecting his performance after losing to Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the Round of 16 of the Monte Carlo Masters.

Murray’s defeat to Ramos-Vinolas was only his fourth match in two months after an elbow injury ruled him out of the Miami Open and the following Davis Cup game between Great Britain and France.

The 29-year-old’s only tournament win this year came at the Dubai Championship in March after he lost to Novak Djokovic in the Qatar Open final followed by a Round of 16 exit at the Australian Open.

Murray also exited Indian Wells in the Round of 64 stage last month.

David Goffin beat Novak Djokovic for the first time in his career on his fifth match point, winning 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 to reach the Monte Carlo Masters semifinals on Friday. Goffin denied Djokovic a possible 50th career match against defending champion Rafael Nadal.

The 10th-seeded Goffin had lost all previous five matches to Djokovic and looked to heading for another when the 12-time Grand Slam winner led 4-2 in the decider.