Milos Raonic withdraws from Monte Carlo Masters
Canadian bothered by right knee injury
Canada's Milos Raonic withdrew from the Monte Carlo Masters on Thursday due to a right knee injury.
Raonic, who was scheduled to play second-seeded Marin Cilic, said he suffered the injury during his second-round win on Wednesday.
MONTE CARLO - sad news- Milos Raonic (v Cilic) has had to withdraw with the right knee issue he first encountered during his win over Marco Cecchinato on Wednesday
—@tomtebbutt"It was difficult yesterday early in the match, I rotated on my knee. I thought through treatment and so-forth it would be better," Raonic said. "I was predisposed to some risk and I was unable to play with that amount of pain. I'll know more in the [coming] days."
Raonic, from Thornhill, Ont., has been plagued by injuries in recent seasons but had been playing well of late.
Nadal on course to defend title
Rafael Nadal remains on course to retain his Monte Carlo Masters title and won't have Novak Djokovic standing in his way.
The top-ranked Nadal beat big-hitting Russian Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals, clinching victory with a clinical smash at the net. The 10-time champion next faces fifth-seeded Dominic Thiem, who earlier won 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-3 against Djokovic.
Thiem can take confidence from having beaten Nadal twice on clay, including in the quarterfinals of last year's Rome Masters.
"It's a way better feeling if you go against him and know that you've beaten him already on this surface," Thiem said. "It's the ultimate challenge to play against him. I have to raise my level again."
Family feud averted
Third seed Alexander Zverev beat Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, but missed out on facing his older brother Mischa Zverev in the last eight. He lost 6-2, 7-5 to Frenchman Richard Gasquet.
Meanwhile, sixth seed David Goffin defeated Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 7-5 in a match that included a bizarre incident involving a ball boy.
After losing his serve to trail 4-1, Bautista Agut cleared a ball from the back of the court as a ball boy was sprinting across. The ball, which was travelling slowly, bounced and clipped the ball boy on the head.
The Spanish player raised a hand in apology but received a warning from the umpire. He was fined $3,100 US for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Goffin, a semifinalist last year, next plays Grigor Dimitrov after the fourth-seeded Bulgarian beat Philipp Kohlschreiber 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.