Djokovic, Nadal win in Monte Carlo

MONTE CARLO, Monaco, April 16 (UPI) -- Top seeds Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal each won in straight sets Friday and rolled into the semifinals of the $3 million Monte Carlo Rolex Masters in Monaco.

Nadal, this year's No. 2 seed, defeated Djokovic in last year's Monte Carlo final and neither has dropped a set en route to Saturday's semifinals.

Nadal on Friday defeated ninth-seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-4, 6-2 and extended his Monte Carlo winning streak to 30 matches. He's won the event the last five times he's entered.

He suffered his first service break of the week but broke Ferrero's serve four times in the win.

The No. 1-seeded Djokovic was a 6-2, 6-3 winner over David Nalbandian, taking 62 percent of the points in the match.

He goes against No. 6-seeded Fernando Verdasco in Saturday's semifinals. Verdasco claimed a 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-0 decision over Albert Montanes in his quarterfinal.

No. 11-seeded David Ferrer stopped Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-5, 7-6 (7-1) and earned the semifinals shot at Nadal.

Saturday's winners meet Sunday in the finals of the clay-court tournament. The 2010 Monte Carlo champion will collect about $590,000 and the runner-up more than $275,000. The players are guaranteed $140,000 for making the semifinals.