• Monte Carlo Masters

Imperious Nadal marches on in Monte Carlo

Defending champion Rafael Nadal produced another supreme display to hammer Michael Berrer 6-0 6-1 in the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters.

Nadal was in imperious form in his win over Thiemo De Bakker on Wednesday and he carried on in the same vein against Berrer. The German started well by executing an excellent drop shot, but that was as good as it got. Nadal climbed into anything short that was offered up by his opponent, and there was plenty of it, as he fired winners on both wings with great regularity.

Nadal was unstoppable on his own serve and three breaks of his opponent's serve enabled him to close out the opening set to love inside 23 minutes.

Berrer had no answer against a man who has proved so dominant on clay in recent years. It took him to the ninth game of the second set to reach double figures in points but he stuck in gamely to take the sixth game on his own serve to avoid the embarrassment of a double bagel.

The reprieve was short lived as Nadal fired down a couple of big serves and crunching forehands to close out the match in 55 minutes.

Nadal will face Juan Carlos Ferrero in the quarter-finals after he overcame Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-1 3-6 7-5. The early signs suggested Ferrero would roll over his rival as he raced through the opening set, but Tsonga mixed defence and attack superbly in the second set. Ferrero is a player of real quality on clay and he withstood the barrage and held on for a fine win in a game that lasted well over two hours.

Top seed Novak Djokovic was not at his best against Stanislas Wawrinka, but he managed to grind out a 6-4 6-4 victory. In a low-quality match punctuated with unforced errors, Djokovic had to rely on his mental toughness to overcome the No. 13 seed.

Fernando Verdasco fought back from a set down to claim a 5-7 6-3 6-2 win over Tomas Berdych.

Verdasco secured an early break at the start of the match, but Berdych hit back and took the set 7-5 after a controversial moment in the 12th game. Verdasco played a deft drop shot at game point and was convinced the ball had bounced twice before Berdych made his return. Verdasco stopped playing, but the umpire ruled in favour of Berdych and with the Spaniard deeply frustrated, the set went away from him.

Fernando Verdasco showed great quality on serve in the second set © Getty Images

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Verdasco came out for the second set and channelled his frustration into his tennis with spectacular results. An array of booming drives, stunning drop shots and a much-improved serve tipped the balance back in his favour. Berdych saved set point in game nine with a fine forehand, but Verdasco kept himself in the game and closed out the set with a second break.

Berdych summoned the trainer at the start of the final set for treatment on his knee and Verdasco showed no mercy by working his opponent around the court with angles and drop shots. The Spaniard secured a break in game four, but gave it back immediately in the following game thanks to a sloppy drop shot.

Losing his serve appeared to jolt Verdasco, as he stepped his level back up and Berdych sent a backhand wide to put the Spaniard back in command and he closed out the match by breaking his Czech opponent to love.

The No. 4 seed Marin Cilic was sent tumbling out by Spaniard Alberto Montanes who claimed a 6-4 6-4 win and the Spanish dominance continued as Davd Ferrer beat Ivan Ljubicic 6-0 7-6(4).

David Nalbandian has shown some good form in 2010 and he continued his march back up the pecking order with a 6-3 6-4 win over Tommy Robredo. Philipp Kohlschreiber, conqueror of Andy Murray, defeated Philipp Petzschner 6-3 6-4.

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