Rafa Nadal surpasses Roger Federer for amazing slice of tennis history

Rafael Nadal has surpassed Roger Federer for most ATP Masters 1000 wins with a comfortable victory over Guido Pella in the Rogers Cup third round.

The defending champion eased to a 6-3 6-4 victory over Pella for his 379th win at ATP Masters 1000 level, going past Federer's tally of 378.

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Nadal was in control throughout against a player he had beaten in straight sets in each of their previous three meetings.

The 18-time grand slam champion was untroubled, winning in one hour, 41 minutes to reach the quarter-finals in Montreal.

A mishit forehand from Pella handed Nadal the only break of the opening set in the second game and it was all the Spaniard needed.

Nadal broke again early in the second set, a brilliant forehand setting up an overhead at the net as he took a 2-1 lead.

However, Pella responded by breaking back in the sixth game, only for Nadal to restore his lead.

Nadal took a 4-3 lead by breaking to 15 when Pella sent a forehand well long, as he eased into the last eight and past Federer for most ATP Masters 1000 victories.

Fognini awaits in quarters

The 33-year-old Spaniard will face seventh-seeded Fabio Fognini, who beat France's Adrian Mannarino 6-2 7-5.

Austrian second-seed Dominic Thiem also progressed to the quarter-finals with a 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 victory over Marin Cilic.

Thiem fired 11 aces and saved all nine break points against Cilic, while breaking the Croatian 2014 US Open champion once in four opportunities during the one hour and 54-minute contest.

The world No.4 has won three titles so far in 2019, including a victory on clay at home in the Generali Open, where he defeated Spaniard Albert Ramos Vinolas in straight sets.

Thiem will next face eight-seeded Daniil Medvedev of Russia, who beat Cristian Garin of Chile 6-3 6-3.

Medvedev, who joked he hoped not to cross paths with Nick Kyrgios in Montreal after losing to the Australian 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-4) at the Washington Open final, has enjoyed a strong run.

The world No.9, who defeated Kyrgios' first-round conqueror Briton Kyle Edmund in the second round, is yet to drop a set at the tournament.

German Alexander Zverev defeated Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili 7-5 5-7 7-6 (7-5) in an epic contest than spanned almost three hours.

Zverev's serve was his best friend and worst enemy, with 15 aces and 14 double faults during an arm-wrestle that saw him score just one point more in total than Basilashvili.

The 22-year-old French Open quarter-finalist struggled to make the most of his chances against Basilashvili, converting just five out of 18 break points.

But Zverev, ranked world No.3, will now face Karen Khachanov, who defeated 19-year-old local hope Felix Auger-Aliassime in a similarly competitive showdown.

Khachanov beat Auger-Aliassime, currently the youngest man in the ATP's top 100 players, 7-6 (9-7) 5-7 6-3 in two hours and 52 minutes.

with agencies