Paris, France (SportsNetwork.com) - Roger Federer, Andy Murray and nine-time champion Rafael Nadal secured berths in the quarterfinals at the 2015 French Open.
The second-seeded former world No. 1 Federer completed a suspended match from Sunday and finished off 13th-seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, while the hot No. 3 seed Murray handled France's Jeremy Chardy 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 and the sixth-seeded former top-ranked great Nadal got past the last American man standing in Paris, Jack Sock, 6-3, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 on the red clay at Stade Roland Garros.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion Federer returned to Court Chatrier on Monday and made quick work of French crowd favorite Monfils to finish their fourth- round match that started Sunday and was halted because of darkness after two sets.
Monfils won the second set on Sunday to gain a split of the first two, and both men, along with tournament officials, agreed to halt play in the fading light knowing they likely could not complete the match.
Federer may have been able to win it Sunday if he played the way he did Monday, rolling over Monfils in two more quick sets to complete a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 triumph.
The second-seeded Swiss superstar broke Monfils in the opening game of the third set Monday and didn't yield the advantage. He then broke early in the fourth and added a second break quickly for a big cushion, dashing Monfils' spirit and any hopes of another upset.
Monfils beat Federer in the third round at Monte Carlo earlier this spring, but the 2009 French champion appeared set to avenge that defeat on Sunday with a break in the second game. Federer went on to win the opening set in a mere 29 minutes.
However, Monfils turned the tables immediately. He broke in the second game of the second set and was serving for the set at 5-3 when Federer broke back. Monfils, though, set up a set point with a forehand winner and followed with a perfectly placed backhand on the line to capture the set.
The crowd was in a frenzy after Monfils' winner, but a meeting quickly yielded the unpopular decision to stop play for the fans who had remained into the evening hours following a nearly three-hour rain delay on Sunday that pushed the schedule back.
Following the quick result Monday, Federer is now into his 44th career Grand Slam quarterfinal and will face eighth-seeded countrymate Stan Wawrinka, the former Australian Open champ, on Tuesday.
"I feel fresh and pumped up to be back in the quarterfinals again after missing out last year," said Federer, who was upset by Ernests Gulbis in the last 16 in 2014.
"It's special to play Stan, there aren't many Swiss players in the draw," Federer said. "I'm quite positive about my chances."
The two-time major titlist Murray, meanwhile, lost the second set against Chardy, but looked quite comfortable in sets one, three and four on Day 9 of the fortnight.
"He's a tough player with a big serve and hit some powerful shots. He made it difficult for me," said Murray. "But I was more solid in the third and fourth sets."
Murray improved to a perfect 14-0 on clay this year.
His best-ever Roland Garros result is a pair of semifinals, including last year. Clay is considered to be the Brit's least-favorite surface, but he has yet to lose on it this season, including his first-ever clay-court titles recently in Munich and Madrid.
Next up for Murray will be gritty Spaniard David Ferrer, who blew past ninth- seeded U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic of Croatia in a 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 rout. The seventh-seeded Ferrer was the 2013 French runner-up, losing to his fellow Spaniard Nadal in the final.
Nadal, meanwhile, improved to an incredible 70-1 at Roland Garros by besting Sock in four sets on Monday.
Sock made things interesting by breaking Nadal while the Spaniard was serving for the match at 5-4 in the third. The ever-improving American consolidated the break with a hold to grab a 6-5 lead as the typically aggressive Nadal appeared to be playing not to lose at that point.
The 22-year-old Sock then stunned onlookers by breaking a tight Nadal yet again to take the fourth set.
Nadal, however, was back in control in the fourth. He broke Sock for a 2-1 lead, followed with a hold, and would cruise from there en route to a 6-2 decision.
The Spanish stalwart has won five straight French Open titles, this following a run of four straight championships here from 2005-2008. His lone loss at the French came in the fourth round against Swede Robin Soderling back in 2009.
The 14-time major champion Nadal will meet the Novak Djokovic-Richard Gasquet victor on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old Sock is still alive the men's doubles draw, where he and partner Vasek Pospisil of Canada are into the quarterfinals.
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