Claycourt king Rafael Nadal booked his place in the quarter-finals of the Hamburg Masters on Thursday to spoil British number one Andy Murray's 21st birthday celebrations. World number two Nadal needed just over an hour to see off 15th seed Murray 6-3, 6-2 and set up a quarter-final clash against compatriot Carlos Moya on Friday.
This was the third time Murray has met - and lost - to Nadal and there was little for the Scotsman to celebrate on his landmark birthday.
Defending champion Roger Federer and world number three Novak Djokovic are also in the last eight while Nicolas Kiefer became the first German this century to make the quarter-finals. Before Kiefer's third-round upset of fourth-seed Nikolay Davydenko, Tommy Haas at the 1999 tournament had been the last German to achieve the feat.
Kiefer's 7-5, 6-3 win over the Russian means there will be huge support in the Am Rothenbaum stadium for Friday's quarter-final against Italy's Andreas Seppi. Federer won his third round clash against Sweden's Robin Soderling 6-3, 6-2 in just one hour six minutes.
Australian Open winner Djokovic, who set up a quarter-final clash with Spain's Albert Montanes, is on course to meet Nadal if the pair both make it to Saturday's semi-finals.
Djokovic had few problems as he saw off Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic 7-6 (7/3), 6-3. Italy's Seppi made the last eight after he removed his second consecutive seed from the draw with a 6-0, 6-3 win over 12th seed Monaco. And fifth seed Ferrer went out when he was beaten 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 by Verdasco.
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