Federer and Nadal stroll to easy wins at Madrid

Associated Press

MADRID

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal reached the quarterfinals of the Madrid Masters on Thursday with straight set victories.

The top-ranked Federer beat Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3, 6-1 and second-ranked Nadal sawed off big-serving John Isner 7-5, 6-4.

Defending champion Federer never looked troubled against Wawrinka, and appears to be shaking off the slip in form that had him lose in the semifinals in Estoril and the second round in Rome recently. In the quarterfinals he’ll play Ernests Gulbis, who beat him in Rome.

Isner, who reached the clay final in Belgrade last weekend, held his own against Nadal before losing his serve in the 11th game of the first set, during which he received treatment to his arm.

Nadal served out for the set and broke the American early in the second before holding his service for victory.

“It was a very dangerous and difficult match and I played well, and when I had chances with the return I took them,” said Nadal.

Another favorite to win the tournament, third-seeded Andy Murray, had little trouble beating Victor Hanescu 6-2, 6-1, and David Ferrer beat Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-2.

In the women’s third round, eighth-seeded Samantha Stosur beat Patty Schnyder 7-6 (3), 6-2 to set up a quarterfinal with Venus Williams; seventh-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia cruised through against Anabel Medina Garrigues, 6-2, 6-0; Aravane Rezai beat Andrea Petkovic, 6-4, 7-6 (8); Li Na beat Alona Bondarenko 6-3, 6-4 and Shahar Peer defeated Arantxa Parra Santonja 7-5, 6-2.