Rafael Nadal powers on in Monte Carlo but Djokovic crashes out
World number one Rafael Nadal maintained his bid for an 11th Monte-Carlo Masters title with a 6-3 6-2 victory over Russian Karen Khachanov.
The Spaniard needed just 80 minutes to see off the 21-year-old and reach his 14th consecutive quarter-final at the event.
Nadal will face Dominic Thiem in the quarter-finals after the Austrian won an epic encounter with Novak Djokovic.
Djokovic produced some of his vintage resilience to grab the first set in a tiebreak after being a break down for most of it, but fifth seed Thiem battled back to win 6-7 (2/7) 6-2 6-3 in a two-and-a-half hour epic.
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 he beat Andreas Seppi 6-0 2-6 6-3.
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 became the first Frenchman to record 500 career wins in beating Mischa Zverev 6-2 7-5 to record the 500th win of his career, and he will now face Zverev’s younger brother Alexander on his 21st birthday after the German defeated compatriot Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4 4-6 6-4.
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