Federer advances in Monte Carlo

Roger Federer beat Gael Monfils of France 6-3, 6-4 Thursday to advance to the quarter-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters.

The 12-time Grand Slam champion overcame an early break against Monfils and looked to have recovered a day after rallying from 5-1 down in the third set to beat 137th-ranked Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo.

The top-ranked Swiss set up match point with a perfectly weighted drop shot that Monfils didn't even chase, and won on his second match point with a service winner that curled away from the Frenchman.

Monfils threatened early on, breaking Federer in the third game. Federer broke straight back for 2-2 and took Monfils' serve again in the eighth game for a 5-3 lead after Monfils sent a big forehand wide.

Federer clinched the opening set when Monfils hit a service return long.

Federer broke his opponent in the third game of the second set and was leading 4-2 when Monfils saved three break points.

Also, three-time defending champion Rafael Nadal beat Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-4, 6-1.

"I think it was a good match," Nadal said. "It is never easy to play against Juan Carlos. He's a big player, especially here on clay. It is a very good start for me and that gives me confidence."

Nadal next plays fifth-seeded David Ferrer of Spain, who beat Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia 6-4, 6-0 to reach the last eight for the fourth straight year.

Nadal broke two-time champion Ferrero in the fourth game for a 3-1 lead. Ferrero pinned Nadal on the baseline in the seventh game and broke back, before holding for 4-4.

Ferrero saved three set points in the 10th game -- the first with a forehand winner and the next two when Nadal went long with attempted baseline winners.

Ferrero conceded the opener after a tense rally where Nadal was wrongfooted by a volley but managed to lob the ball back. Ferrero flicked the ball between his legs to continue the long exchange, which ended several strokes later when Nadal's booming forehand landed just in.

Nadal dominated the second set, opening up a 4-0 lead before Ferrero broke in the fifth game. Nadal broke straight back to lead 5-1 and clinched the match on serve with a crosscourt winner.

Ferrer broke Tipsarevic's serve six times. The Spaniard, a losing Masters Cup finalist last year to Federer, has never got past the last eight at Monte Carlo. He lost to Federer in the 2006 and '07 quarter-finals, and to Guillermo Coria in 2005.

Igor Andreev of Russia needed seven match points to finally overcome Nicolas Almagro of Spain 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.

Third-seeded Novak Djokovic of Serbia faced Andy Murray of Britain later Thursday.