Nadal reaches Rome quarter-finals

Rome, May 01: Top seed Rafael Nadal swept aside Swede Robin Soderling 6-1, 6-0 at the Rome Masters to book a quarter-final with fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco while Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer also had easy wins.

Holder Djokovic breezed past Tommy Robredo 6-1, 6-1 to set up a last-eight clash with Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro and Federer beat 16th seed Radek Stepanek 6-4, 6-1 to avenge last year's defeat here by the Czech.

World number one Nadal, a three-time winner in Rome, made a slow start and needed six deuces to hold serve in the marathon second game. He soon found his stride though, unleashing some venomous forehands to break in the following game.

Nadal did not lose another game, although Soderling could have made it more interesting by taking better advantage of five break points in the first set.

Sixth seed Verdasco earned the right to meet his compatriot with a 7-5, 6-4 triumph over France's Richard Gasquet.

Djokovic's Spanish opponent Robredo, seeded 13th, struggled to keep the ball in play throughout, giving away a break to love in the fourth game with a series of poor shots and another in the sixth with a drop into the net.

Third seed Djokovic, who destroyed a racket in frustration when Albert Montanes troubled him in the second round, continued to bully Robredo in the second set.

Del Potro, seeded fifth, will face the Serb after fending off a fightback from Swiss number 10 seed Stanislas Wawrinka, last year's runner-up, to prevail 6-2, 6-7, 6-3.