World number one Roger Federer got back into his old routine with a 6-3, 6-4 defeat of France's Gael Monfils to reach the Monte Carlo Masters quarter-finals on Thursday.

The Swiss top seed, who was two points from an embarrassing defeat against Spanish qualifier Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo on Wednesday, sealed a straightforward victory in 71 minutes.

Federer, who won his first title of season at the Estoril Open last week, is still on course for a third consecutive Monte Carlo final against Spain's Rafael Nadal, a 6-4, 6-1 winner against compatriot Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Federer next meets either Spaniard Tommy Robredo or Argentine David Nalbandian, who play later on Thursday.

Following an early trade of breaks, the Swiss broke Monfils's serve in the eighth game when the Frenchman sent a forehand wide.

He broke again in the third game of the second set and despite wasting three other break chances, finished the match with a service winner.

Nadal, who is defending his title, withstood Ferrero's early fight back to set up another all Spanish meeting with David Ferrer.

Fifth seed Ferrer, who has been eliminated at the quarter-final stage on his last four appearances in the principality, swept aside Serb Janko Tipsarevic 6-4, 6-0 in the third round in 67 minutes.

Nadal and Ferrero, with four French Open titles and five Monte Carlo crowns between them, treated the fans to top-notch tennis in the first set before the 13th seed ran out of steam.

"I think it was a good match, it is never easy to play against Juan Carlos," said Nadal.

"If I win 6-4, 6-1 against Juan Carlos, I can't think I am not playing well, no ?"

Number two seed Nadal built a 4-1 lead in the first set after an early break only for Ferrero to level at 4-4 with a super forehand winner on his opponent's serve.

Ferrero, who won the French Open two years before Nadal started his reign on the Roland Garros clay, found some success by changing his tactics, winning 13 points at the net.

However, Nadal took the set after 54 minutes on his fourth chance by winning an impressive rally during which Ferrero retrieved the ball between his legs with his back to the net.

Nadal now had a grip on the match and jumped to a 2-0 lead when he won a 15 minute-long second game on his fifth break point with a service return winner.

Ferrero, who won the Monte Carlo event in 2002 and 2003, managed to pull a break back but by then Nadal had raced to a 4-0 advantage.

Nadal sealed the win after one hour and 46 minutes with a backhand winner.

Fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko of Russia beat 16th German seed Philipp Kohlschreiber 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 and next meets compatriot Igor Andreev, who wasted six match points before beating Spaniard Nicolas Almagro 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.