Barcelona (Spain), Mar 27: Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray cruised into the Barcelona Open quarterfinals with straight-set victories on Thursday.
Nadal broke Robert Farah of Colombia in the first game on his way to a 6-2, 6-3 victory for his 31st straight win at the tournament. The six-time champion set up a last-eight match with fifth-seeded Janko Tipsarevic after the Serbian beat Frederico Gil 6-2, 6-2.
"It may sound stupid but against players like him you have to go for victory, if you look for a fight you've already lost," Tipsarevic said. "Rafa is playing like he always does on clay, the best, but I'll go out there looking to win and see what happens."
Nadal beat Tipsarevic 6-1, 6-0, 6-2 in their last meeting, in the Davis Cup three years ago.
Murray made quick work of another Colombian in a 6-1, 6-2 win over Santiago Giraldo, the fourth-ranked Briton serving up nine aces.
Murray will play Milos Raonic next after the Canadian eased past Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 6-3.
Also, third-seeded David Ferrer broke Albert Montanes five times to brush aside the fellow Spaniard 6-0, 6-2, while 2010 winner Fernando Verdasco defeated Kevin Anderson of South Africa 6-4, 6-4.
Japan's Kei Nishikori beat Spain's Albert Ramos 7-6 (2), 6-3 and Feliciano Lopez also reached the last eight with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Jarkko Nieminen.
