Federer, Nadal on collision course

MONTE CARLO: Rafael Nadal closed in on Monte Carlo Masters history on Thursday while Roger Federer confidently buried his previous day's heart-stopping brush with humiliation to move into the quarterfinals.

But third seeded Serb Novak Djokovic, the 20-year-old Australian Open champion, served up a 6-0, 6-4 demolition of Britain's Andy Murray to hammer out a devastating indication of his claim to the trophy.

Second seed Nadal, chasing a record fourth successive Monte Carlo title, eased past Spanish compatriot Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-4, 6-1 to record his 21st win in 22 matches in the principality.