Defending champion Rafael Nadal and world number one Roger Federer wasted no time in advancing to the quarter-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters Series.

Spaniard Nadal, who extended his record winning streak on clay to 64 matches, took 62 minutes to demolish Belgian Kristof Vliegen 6-1 6-1 while Federer eased past South Korean Lee Huyng-taik 6-4 6-3 in 64 minutes.

"I was feeling very good today and I'm really happy to be in the last eight," said Nadal, who lost his serve in the first game of the second set before winning 21 points in a row.

Third Round Results:

Federer - Lee 6-4, 6-3
Ferrer - Djokovic 7-5, 6-4
Ferrero - Andreev 6-3, 6-3
Gasquet - Ljubicic 6-3, 6-7, 7-5
Berdych - Robredo 1-6, 6-3, 6-2
Soderling - Mirnyi 7-6, 6-2
Kohlschreiber - Garcia-Lopez 5-7, 7-6, 7-6
Nadal - Vliegen 6-1, 6-1

Quarter Final Fixtures:

Roger Federer (SUI) vs. David Ferrer (ESP)
Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) vs. Richard Gasquet (FRA)
Tomas Berdych (CZE) vs. Robin Soderling (SWE)
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) vs. Rafael Nadal (ESP)

Roger Federer won his 500th career match Friday, beating David Ferrer 6-4, 6-0 in the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters.

"I am very happy to have done it here,'' said Federer, who reached the final in Monte Carlo last year. "That is a lot of games. I'm glad they are victories.''

The 10-time Grand Slam champion has never lost a set to Ferrer in six matches.

"I am a bit surprised, because he is a very good player,'' Federer said. "To beat him 6-4, 6-0 is really phenomenal.''

The top-ranked Federer will play either 11th-seeded Richard Gasquet or two-time champion Juan Carlos Ferrero in Saturday's semifinals.

Also, Tomas Berdych won 12 straight games after trailing 3-0 in the second set to beat Robin Soderling of Sweden 5-7, 6-3, 6-0.

"The start wasn't so good today, but then things changed,'' Berdych said. "I'm really happy that I can sit here and try to prepare for tomorrow's semifinals.''

Berdych attacked Soderling's serve and outmaneuvered his taller opponent with accurate ground strokes to get a spot in the last four, where he will face either defending champion Rafael Nadal or qualifier Philipp Kohlschreiber.

Rafael Nadal was at his scintillating best as he completed a 6-2 6-3 victory over Philipp Kohlschreiber to make the semi-finals.

The man from Mallorca was barely troubled against the world number 59, though he needed five match points to wrap up a 74-minute win.

"At this level, there is no easy match," the Spaniard said in a courtside interview.

"I expect a lot from myself for tomorrow's semi-final."

Nadal, twice French Open champion, will play Czech Tomas Berdych, who fought back to knock out Swede Robin Soderling 5-7 6-3 6-0.

Former two-time winner Jean Carlos Ferrero outlasts Richard Gasquet to move into the semi-finals with a 5-7 7-5 6-2 victory.

Gasquet started brightly but ran out of gas by the end of the second set as Ferrero outplayed him with powerful groundstrokes from the baseline.

He clinched victory in two hours 26 minutes on his first match point and will now face Roger Federer in the semi-finals.

Ferrero won this tournament in 2002 and 2003.

Roger Federer overcame a slow start to beat Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-3, 6-4 Saturday, setting up a second straight Monte Carlo Masters final against Rafael Nadal.

The top-ranked Swiss player saved two break points when trailing 3-1 in the first set, then won the next four games to take the set. Nadal advanced after beating 10th-seeded Tomas Berdych 6-0, 7-5.

"It's always fun to see the No. 1 and No. 2 playing against each other," said Federer, who is 3-6 against Nadal. "I hope we can live up to the expectations and play a good match.

"We had some great matches last year. Three phenomenal ones on clay, all of them finals."

Nadal beat Federer in finals at the Monte Carlo Masters, the Rome Masters and the French Open -- the only major the 10-time Grand Slam champion has not won.

Federer struggled early against Ferrero, the 2003 French Open champion, but one lucky point turned the first set in his favor.

After saving one break point in the fifth game, Federer tried a drop shot on the second and the ball clipped the top of the net before rolling slowly onto Ferrero's side of the court.

"That ball was very important for me," Ferrero said. "It would have been 4-1 and a chance to serve. I think the story of the first set maybe turned a little bit."

Federer put up a hand to apologize, and went on to beat Ferrero for the seventh time in 10 meetings.

"Sometimes when you apply your high level he still wins," Ferrero said. "Maybe because he's the best."

Twice during the match the umpire had to appeal for quiet from the fans.

"It would be nice if they showed some more respect to the other fans that are watching the match and also the players," Federer said.

Ferrero said the noise didn't both him.

"I had enough to worry about with Federer," the former top-ranked player said.

Nadal, who lost his previous three matches to Berdych, conceded just seven points in the opening set.

Berdych rallied in the second set and pressured Nadal on his serve for three consecutive games, but the Czech player could not get the break he needed.

"I had one or two chances in the second set, but only small chances," Berdych said.

Spaniard Rafael Nadal won his third Monte Carlo Masters Series in a row when he extended his record winning streak on clay to 67 matches with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over world No. 1 Roger Federer in Sunday's final.

The two-time French Open champion, who has not lost on the slow surface since a defeat against Russian Igor Andreev in April 2005, became the second player to win three straight titles in the principality.

Only Romania's Ilie Nastase had achieved the feat before him, from 1971 to 1973.

Nadal, who thrashed all his opponents en route to Sunday's final, has already emerged as a hot favorite to retain his French Open crown.

The Majorcan took advantage of his opponent's sloppy forehand to improve his record against Federer to 7-3. The Swiss has never beaten him on clay in five meetings.

Federer had won his two previous matches against the world No. 2, beating him for his fourth consecutive Wimbledon crown and in the semifinal of last year's Masters Cup.

The left-handed Spaniard defeated Federer in last year's final before clinching his second French Open title with a victory in Paris.

Federer, who was in a class of his own against clay-court specialists David Ferrer and Juan Carlos Ferrero in the previous rounds, never seemed in a position to bother Nadal.

Nadal broke decisively on his second chance when Federer sent a forehand long in the ninth game after wasting three opportunities to take the Spaniard's serve.

Nadal clinched the set with a crosscourt forehand winner in 47 minutes.

The Swiss, who made 13 forehand unforced errors in the first set, dropped his serve in the third game of the second as Nadal managed an impressive passing shot.

Federer saved two match points with forehand winners but bowed out on the third, giving Nadal his 19th career title when he sent a backhand long.

Nadal continues dominance of Federer on clay

     

     

     

       

[size=24pt]there wives will not be happy with that pics[/size]