French Open:Rafael Nadal today buried the ghosts of his first French Open defeat by notching up his 200th win on clay and reaching this year's quarter-finals. Four-time champion Nadal was stunned by an inspired Robin Soderling in round four 12 months ago.
But but despite a defiant display on Philippe Chatrier Court this afternoon, young Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci was unable to repeat the feat.
Despite creating a similar number of break points as his illustrious opponent, the 24th seed was ultimately beaten in straight sets, 6-2 7-5 6-4, as Nadal set up a last-eight clash with Fernando Verdasco or Nicolas Almagro.
Bellucci was playing at the last-16 stage of a grand slam for the first time, having upset 14th seed Ivan Ljubicic on Saturday. The 22-year-old lost in the first round to Nadal two years ago in their only previous meeting and appeared keen to show how much he had improved.
His hopes of doing so were dented when he dropped serve in the opening game but he had deuce in the next and broke back with some fine play two games later. He immediately surrendered his serve from 40-0 up before more errors saw him broken again in game seven, allowing Nadal to serve out the set.
The second set went with serve until Bellucci bounced back from a break in game five, before a double fault in game nine gave Nadal the chance to serve out the set.
The Brazilian raced to 0-40 before converting his third break-back point with a beautiful running forehand, but he dropped serve again amid brilliant counter-punching from Nadal, who served out again.
The topsy-turvy action continued at the start of the third, Bellucci immediately recovering a Nadal break with a cracking backhand before two errors handed the advantage back to the Spaniard in game five, mistakes that ultimately proved decisive.
Serbian Novak Djokovic has continued his serene progress through the men's draw with an ultimately comfortable 6-4 2-6 6-1 6-2 victory over American Robby Ginepri to book his place in quarter-finals.
Ginepri, looking to mark US Memorial Day with a first career win over Djokovic, went toe-to-toe with the third seed and won his first set in five meetings against the Serbian with some sweet baseline strokes in the second set.
The American 27-year-old was unlucky to lose the opener having enjoyed the more confident service games and failing to convert three break points on the Djokovic serve - two of which arrived at 4-4.
But the Serb broke to take it in game 10, before his game fell off as Ginepri, his white baseball cap facing backwards, powered to the second with two breaks in a 33-minue set.
Ginepri cheered the crowd with an impromptu series of push-ups after slipping to retrieve a Djokovic passing shot but he was broken in the same game as the Serb went on to wrap up the last two sets with some crisp hitting.
Djokovic, watched by an entourage packed tightly into the guest box on Court Philippe Chatrier, sealed victory in two hours and 17 minutes when Ginepri netted a defensive forehand.
"Once again I came out on top," Djokovic told a courtside interviewer. "I'm in great shape for the second week of the tournament."
He will play Austrian 22nd seed Jurgen Melzer after the Austrian beat Russian qualifier Teimuraz Gabashvili 7-6 4-6 6-1 6-4.
The 22nd-seeded Melzer, the first Austrian to reach the last eight in Paris since Thomas Muster in 1998, proved more consistent on another gloomy morning to prevail after two hours and 54 minutes.
Gabashvili missed three set points in the opener as he dropped his first set of the tournament but levelled the match with some eye-catching winners.
Melzer, making his first appearance in a grand slam last 16, then took command, cantering through the third set before breaking serve decisively in the ninth game of the fourth.