Monte Carlo Masters: Nadal Beats Khachanov As Djokovic Loses

World number one Rafael Nadal continued his bid for an 11th Monte Carlo Masters title with a 6-3 6-2 win over Russia's Karen Khachanov in the last 16.

The Spaniard, 31, triumphed in an hour 38 minutes against 21-year-old world number 38 Khachanov.

Austrian fifth seed Dominic Thiem beat Novak Djokovic to set up a quarter-final against Nadal on Friday.

Former world number one Djokovic lost 6-7 (2-7) 6-2 6-3 in an engrossing match.

Dominant Nadal marches on
Nadal, who must win the tournament to prevent Roger Federer from regaining the number one spot, eased past Khachanov to claim his 65th victory at a tournament where he has lost only four matches.

Nadal broke Khachanov's serve at the first attempt and, although he lost his own serve when leading 4-2 in the first set, he broke again in the next game before serving out the set.

Nadal, who is bidding for a 17th Grand Slam title at next month's French Open, raced into a 4-1 lead in the second set and wrapped up the victory on his first match point.

Positive signs for Djokovic despite defeat
Djokovic has slipped to 13th in the rankings as an elbow injury has restricted him to only four tournaments this year, but he showed glimpses of his best form against Thiem, whom he described as a "top-three player in the world on clay".

Serb Djokovic, a 12-time Grand Slam champion, saved three set points at 5-2 down in the first, breaking back to level at 5-5 and taking the tie-break with his first set point.

However, he was outclassed in the second set and seemed to fade physically in the decider, Thiem claiming his first break point for 4-3 and taking Djokovic's serve again to win after almost two and a half hours.

Thiem, 24, lost his first five meetings with Djokovic before beating him 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 6-0 in last year's French Open.

Gasquet ruins Zverev brothers' meeting
Third seed Alexander Zverev beat fellow German Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4 4-6 6-4 but missed out on a meeting with his older brother Mischa after he lost to France's Richard Gasquet.

Gasquet, 31, earned his 500th Tour victory with a 6-2 7-5 win.

Belgian sixth seed David Goffin won 6-4 7-5 against Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut.

Bautista Agut was given a code violation for accidentally hitting a ball boy with a ball after going 4-1 down in the second set, recovering to save two match points and winning four straight games to level at 5-5.

But Goffin broke again and served out the match at the third attempt to book a quarter-final against Bulgarian fourth seed Grigor Dimitrov, who beat Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber 4-6 6-3 6-4.

Canada's Milos Raonic pulled out of his last-16 match against Croatian second seed Marin Cilic because of a knee injury.