<p>Nadal braved unusually chilly temperatures on the sun-kissed Cote d'Azur to seal a place in quarterfinals with a straightforward 6-2, 6-4 victory over Richard Gasquet. <br /><br />While the crowd huddled for warmth deciding whether to cheer six-times champion Nadal or local favourite Gasquet, the Spaniard had already broken the Frenchman in the first game as his sheer power again overawed an opponent. <br /><br />The top seed, bidding to be the first man to win the same tournament seven times in a row as he warms up for next month's French Open, almost lost the next game but held serve thanks to a stunning backhand down the line and hardly looked back. <br /><br />Gasquet did break for 4-4 in the second set to reveal some chinks in Nadal's armour, offering pretenders to his crown a glimmer of hope that the Spaniard is beatable on clay. <br />Second seed Federer staked his claim with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Croatia's Marin Cilic after the sun had broken through the clouds at the Monte Carlo Country Club. <br /><br />The Swiss barely got out of first gear but unleashed some superb winners and the result was never in doubt. <br /><br />Fourth seed David Ferrer earlier navigated his way through the third round with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Canada's fast-rising Milos Raonic but Tomas Berdych hit the rocks when he was overwhelmed by Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic, who next faces Nadal on Friday. <br /><br />Raonic, who has rocketed from 156th in the rankings at the year's start to 34th, had no answer to the Spaniard's guile as Ferrer romped to victory. <br /><br />Czech fifth seed Berdych was cast aside by rampant Ljubicic 6-4, 6-2 while Viktor Troicki also went through after Spain's Tommy Robredo retired hurt while leading 6-3, 1-2 with an apparent hamstring injury. <br /><br />World number four Andy Murray next faces France's Gilles Simon.</p>
<p>Nadal braved unusually chilly temperatures on the sun-kissed Cote d'Azur to seal a place in quarterfinals with a straightforward 6-2, 6-4 victory over Richard Gasquet. <br /><br />While the crowd huddled for warmth deciding whether to cheer six-times champion Nadal or local favourite Gasquet, the Spaniard had already broken the Frenchman in the first game as his sheer power again overawed an opponent. <br /><br />The top seed, bidding to be the first man to win the same tournament seven times in a row as he warms up for next month's French Open, almost lost the next game but held serve thanks to a stunning backhand down the line and hardly looked back. <br /><br />Gasquet did break for 4-4 in the second set to reveal some chinks in Nadal's armour, offering pretenders to his crown a glimmer of hope that the Spaniard is beatable on clay. <br />Second seed Federer staked his claim with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Croatia's Marin Cilic after the sun had broken through the clouds at the Monte Carlo Country Club. <br /><br />The Swiss barely got out of first gear but unleashed some superb winners and the result was never in doubt. <br /><br />Fourth seed David Ferrer earlier navigated his way through the third round with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Canada's fast-rising Milos Raonic but Tomas Berdych hit the rocks when he was overwhelmed by Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic, who next faces Nadal on Friday. <br /><br />Raonic, who has rocketed from 156th in the rankings at the year's start to 34th, had no answer to the Spaniard's guile as Ferrer romped to victory. <br /><br />Czech fifth seed Berdych was cast aside by rampant Ljubicic 6-4, 6-2 while Viktor Troicki also went through after Spain's Tommy Robredo retired hurt while leading 6-3, 1-2 with an apparent hamstring injury. <br /><br />World number four Andy Murray next faces France's Gilles Simon.</p>
