Top-seed David Ferrer cruised into the quarterfinals after pushing aside Frederico Gil. He beat the Portuguese 6-3 6-0 in under an hour. The Spaniard will head to meet sixth-seed Igor Andreev. The Russian leads their career matchup 4-3, but Ferrer has won their last two meetings. However, Andreev has won both of their meetings on clay if that makes any difference.

Albert Montanes will await the winner of the Ferrer and Andreev match tomorrow, as David Nalbandian withdrew from the competition with an abductor injury. The withdrawal is a set back for the Argentine champion who returned to the tour this week after recovering nine months from hip surgery.

On the other side of the draw, fourth-seed Juan Monaco took care of his compatriot Juan Ignacio Chela in the battle of the Juans. He outlasted Chela 7-6(2) 4-6 6-2 after 2 hours and 46 minutes of play. Monaco will play another Argentine, Horacio Zeballos in the quarterfinals.

Monaco is on a collision course with Juan Carlos Ferrero. The two could meet on Saturday in the semifinals.

Thursday’s Results
Singles Second Round
1 David Ferrer (ESP) def. Frederico Gil (POR) 6-3 6-0
4 Juan Monaco (ARG) def. Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG) 7-6(2) 4-6 6-2
6 Igor Andreev (RUS) def. Marcel Granollers (ESP) 3-6 6-3 6-4
8 Horacio Zeballos (ARG) def. WC Carlos Moya (ESP) 6-4 6-4

Singles Quarterfinals
5 Albert Montanes (ESP) def. David Nalbandian (ARG) walkover (right abductor)

Doubles Quarterfinals
S. Greul (GER)/P. Luczak (AUS) def. 1 P. Cuevas (URU)/M. Granollers (ESP) 6-3 6-4
D. Ferrer (ESP)/R. Ramirez Hidalgo (ESP) def. I. Andreev (RUS)/D. Gimeno-Traver (ESP) 6-2 7-5
N. Almagro (ESP)/S. Ventura (ESP) def. D. Koellerer (AUT)/O. Marach (AUT) 5-7 6-1 10-7

Friday’s Order of Play

(Images: Copa Telmex)

Second-seed Juan Monaco defeated compatriot Juan Ignacio Chela 6-3 7-5 in just under 90 minutes of play. The Argentine draws Australian Peter Luczak in the quarterfinals. The two players have never played one another.

Thursday’s Results
Singles Second Round
2 Juan Monaco (ARG) def. Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG) 6-3 7-5
3 Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) def. Paul Capdeville (CHI) 5-7 6-4 7-5
E. Schwank (ARG) def. 6 Jose Acasuso (ARG) 6-7(3) 6-2 RET. (left knee)
Peter Luczak (AUS) def. Q David Marrero (ESP) 6-3 7-6(4)

Doubles Quarterfinals
1 L. Kubot (POL)/O. Marach (AUT) def. WC S. Gonzalez (MEX)/N. Massu (CHI) 4-6 6-3 10-6
L. Arnold Ker (ARG)/J. Monaco (ARG) def. 2. M Melo (BRA)/B. Soares (BRA) 6-4 6-3
L. Friedl (CZE)/D. Skoch (CZE) def. J. Acasuso (ARG)/S. Prieto (ARG) walkover (Acasuso - left knee)
P. Starace (ITA)/H. Zeballos (ARG) def. S. Greul (GER)/P. Luczak (AUS) 7-5 6-4

Friday’s Order of Play

(Image: Movistar Open/Cèsar Pincheira)

(Image: AP)

Mariano Zabaleta played Tommy Robredo in day two of the Masters Tennis 2016 Tournament on Tuesday. Robredo ultimately won the exhibition match by defeating the Argentine 7-5 6-1. Though he lost, it is nice to see Zabaleta. Of late, he has been playing on the challengers series, so we do not see much of him at the main tournaments.

In 1995, Zabaleta ended the year as the top junior. The Argentine had a hard time transitioning to the seniors tour from the juniors tour. He would eventually do well enough on tour and was consistently ranked in the top 100 from 1998 to 2006, with his highest ranking being 21 in 2000.

Zabaleta suffered from a foot injury in 2005 and then suffered a knee injury in 2006. His career has never been the same, and he slid out of the top 100. Today the 31 year old is currently ranked 440.

Though his professional tennis career has suffered, he created the most flawless show ever. Zabaleta started the show Tenis Pro in 2004 where he and Juan Ignacio Chela, armed with a video camera, interview players on the ATP tour. The Tennis Channel could certainly spruce up its programming by airing re-runs of this truly fantastic show.

You can see clips here, here, here and here, but I leave you this little gem:

Rafael Nadal resumed his clay-court domination today. The unfortunate victim was Juan Ignacio Chela. He beat Chela 6-2 6-3. This win was his 23rd consecutive win in Monte-Carlo.

Nadal jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first set. Chela then won 11 consecutive points to cut Nadal’s lead 4-2. Nadal tightened the hatches and cruised to take the next two games and the set. A similar scenario happened in the second set, but Nadal took control again and cruised to victory.

The Spaniard will meet qualifier Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador, who dismissed Marat Safin in a 3 ½ hour epic match. Safin lost 6-7(6) 6-2 6-7(6). Safin lost the first set, but cruised to take the second set.

It look like Safin had rallied to send the ATP World No. 98 home after being up 4-0 in the final set. The Russian served for the match at 5-2, but somehow Lapentti dug in to fight off two match points. The Ecuadorian broke Safin and then rattled off another three consecutive games and saved another match point along the way.

It looked like they were headed to a tiebreak, but then Lapentti broke Safin in the eleventh game. He then served for the match and had three match points, but Safin broke the Ecuadorian to send the match to a tiebreak.

Lapentti jumped out to a 4-0 lead, and then later Safin missed a forehand for 5-1. Safin took a minibreak and held serve for 5-4. He then mishit a forehand to give Lapentti three match points.

Naturally, Safin saved two match points to tie it at 6-6. Lapentti dug in again, and it did not help that Safin double faulted to give Lapentti match point number 6. This time Lapentti converted to upset the Russian in his final Monte-Carlo appearance.

This is Lapentti’s first round of 16 appearance this year. His last round of 16 was in 2008 in Cincinnati where he eventually lost in the quarterfinal to Rafael Nadal, incidenttally. That was their last meeting. Their only other meeting was in 2003 in Bastad where Lapentti won in three sets.

(Images: AP)