Eight-time champion Rafael Nadal saved 15 of 17 break points, and Andy Murray rallied from a set and 3-0 down Thursday as both advanced to the quarterfinals at the Monte Carlo Masters.
The fifth-seeded Nadal scampered around the clay to retrieve booming forehands before beating Dominic Thiem 7-5, 6-3. Murray came back to defeat an erratic Benoit Paire 2-6, 7-5, 7-5.
Roger Federer had little trouble by comparison, beating 14th-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 6-4.
Nadal will face fourth-seeded Stan Wawrinka in quarterfinal.
The second-seeded Murray next plays No 10 Milos Raonic.
The day after beating Djokovic in the second round for the biggest win of his career, 55th-ranked Jiri Vesely lost to No. 13 Gael Monfils 6-1, 6-2.
Meanwhile, Rohan Bopanna and Florin Mergea advanced to the quarterfinals after getting the better of Robert lindstedt and Alexander Peya in straight sets here.
The sixth seeded Indo-Romanian combination beat their opponents 7-5, 7-5 in the round of 16 match.