Former champion Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer powered into the Madrid Masters quarterfinals on Thursday. Top-ranked Nadal moved closer to clinching the season-ending No. 1 ranking by beating Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-2, while second-ranked Federer eased past Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 6-1. In the night match 14th ranked player Ivo Karlovic of Croatia beat third-ranked player Novak Djokovic of Serbia 7-6(4), 7-6(5). Nadal, the 2005 champ who needs to return to the final to retain the year-end top spot, set up an all-Spanish matchup with Feliciano Lopez, who beat Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland 6-4, 6-4. Federer will face Juan Martin del Potro, who eliminated defending champion and fellow Argentine David Nalbandian 6-4, 6-2. Also, fourth-seeded Andy Murray edged Marin Cilic of Croatia 7-5, 7-6 (2) while eighth-seeded Andy Roddick lost to Gael Monfils of France 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Nadal dominated his French opponent, hitting one passing winner after another as Gasquet came to the net all match. Nadal noted afterward that a right leg injury was much better. “I played a good match and I am leaving happy with my game, but it's true that he has made more unforced errors than usual, especially with his backhand,” Nadal said. In a first career matchup with Federer expected to produce lots of sting, Tsonga seemed to lose steam from the end of the first set when the Frenchman nicknamed “Ali” because of his uncanny resemblance to former boxer Muhammed Ali double-faulted. Federer had few problems from there on out and scored two breaks in the second set to complete the quick win. The ninth-ranked del Potro controlled the third-round match from the start after breaking Davis Cup teammate Nalbandian in the first game. He is closing in on a spot at next month's Masters Cup in Shanghai. Gilles Simon of France, who saved four match points to beat Igor Andreev in the first round, saved two more in beating Robby Ginepri of the US 6-7 (6), 6-4, 7-6 (6). Simon will next play Karlovic. Pennetta upsets Jankovic Jelena Jankovic's bid for a fourth straight title ended on Thursday when the world number one lost 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 to unseeded Italian Flavia Pennetta in the Zurich Open second round. On a bad day for the tournament's organizers Russian fourth seed Vera Zvonareva and Polish fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska also suffered second round exits. Radwanska was beaten 2-6, 7-6, 6-3 by Slovenian world number 21 Katarina Srebotnik in a serious blow to the Pole's hopes of qualifying for the WTA Championships. The world number 10 is the worst-placed of the four main contenders for the three remaining spots at the year-ending tournament and is now set to lose further ground to her nearest rival Venus Williams. Zvonareva, who has yet to secure her own place at the Championships, retired from her own second round match while trailing Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3, 3-0. Serbian second seed Ana Ivanovic provided some relief by sailing through her second round match against French world number 16 Marion Bartoli 6-2, 6-4. After joining Williams as one of only two seeded players to have reached the quarterfinals, Ivanovic will now take on Czech Republic's Petra Kvitova who on Thursday saw off fellow qualifier Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden 6-2, 6-1. Federer richest tennis player Roger Federer has become the world's richest tennis player, with career prize money earnings listed as a staggering $43.29 million. Federer's passage into the third round of the ATP Madrid Masters event on Wednesday saw the Swiss player edge past former number one Pete Sampras of the United States. Federer will take his earnings to $43.5 millions should he win in Spain. Sampras earned $43.27 million in his career. Federer and Sampras, with 13 and 14 Grand Slams win each, stand almost $12 million clear of third-placed Andre Agassi. - AP __
