Rafael Nadal reached the quarter-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters on Thursday after overcoming the spirited Dominic Thiem.The fifth seeded Spaniard took command after a fiercely contested first set and sealed a confidence boosting 7-5 6-3 win over Thiem.Nadal had suffered defeat to Thiem earlier this year and his serve was given a stern examination by the 22-year-old Austrian from the start, with the Spaniard forced to save 15 break points on his way to victory. It was my best match on clay this year, Nadal said. I played a good match, in terms of level of tennis, it was great I think.In terms of fighting spirit and attitude and being ready to accept the mistakes, the good points, the tough moments, it was a similar way that I played in Indian Wells [where he reached the semi-finals]. Rafael Nadal will face Stan Wawrinka in the quarter-finals of Monte Carlo Masters It was a great continuation against a very tough player. I think he played a great match, too. It was a very good victory for me, Im very happy for that.The 14-time Grand Slam winner will now face No 4 seed Stan Wawrinka.The Swiss player advanced to the quarters with a dominant 6-1 6-2 victory over Frenchman Gilles Simon. Elsewhere, Roger Federer booked his spot in the final eight after a routine 6-2 6-4 win against Roberto Bautista Agut. Roger Federer also advanced in Monte Carlo The Swiss only recently recovered from knee surgery after injuring himself off-court after a semi-final defeat at the Australian Open but he feels he is returning to full fitness.Im getting closer to the peak in the sense of maximum movement against the best players on a tough surface, said Federer.Everything thats going on right now at this tournament is great. I can rest for the next couple of weeks anyway.Even if I get a setback of a couple of days that the knee is not well, you rest it, take up training, take as much time as you need. I feel like Im in a great place right now.Monte Carlo Masters quarter-finals:Gael Monfils v Marcel GranollersRoger Federer v Jo-Wilfried TsongaRafael Nadal v Stan WawrinkaMilos Raonic v Andy MurrayWatch live action from the Monte Carlo Masters on Sky Sports 1 HD from 10am on Friday.Also See:Murray battles past PaireVesely stuns DjokovicAkiem Hicks Jersey . There are some early surprises in the race for the Hart Trophy, but two of the contenders are the leagues biggest stars over the past decade. There are many more players in contention for the awards than just the three that Ive named, and a good or bad week can easily alter the landscape, but through the first 20 or so games of the NHL season, this is how the awards races look to me. Mike Ditka Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.bearsfootballpro.com/Authentic_Tarik-Cohen_Bears_Jersey/ . Brett Kulak and Jackson Houck of the Vancouver Giants were each charged with assault causing bodily harm on Aug. 18, according to the B.C. court services. Khalil Mack Womens Jersey . The 18th player to shoot 60 on the tour, Jamieson settled for par on the final hole when his 15-foot birdie chip grazed the edge of the hole and stayed out. After opening with rounds of 66 and 73 to make the cut by a stroke, he had 11 birdies in the bogey-free round. Jim McMahon Jersey . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season.Free-agent forward Loui Eriksson has agreed to a six-year deal with the Vancouver Canucks for $6 million per season.Eriksson, 30, spent the past three seasons in Boston, scoring 62 goals with 85 assists.Last season he recorded 30 goals and 33 assists in 82 games.Eriksson was considered one of the top players available in free agency and got the same $6 million cap hit as Milan Lucic did with the Edmonton Oilers and Kyle Okposo with the Buffalo Sabres. Lucic and Okposo signed seven-year contracts.Eriksson was the centerpiece of the package the?Dallas Stars?sent to Boston in 2013 that iin return sent Tyler Seguin to Dallas.ddddddddddddLoui is an excellent two-way forward, an elite scorer and playmaker with great defensive instincts, ?Canucks general manager Jim Benning said. ``He is an accomplished player who helps our team now and in the future as a leader and role model for our young players to follow. Were excited to have Loui join our team and help us compete every night.Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.? ' ' '
