Holder Roger Federer [ Images ] continued his trouble-free progress at the Hamburg Masters with a 6-3, 6-2 in over unseeded Swede Robin Soderling [ Images ] on Thursday.

The world number one, who beat Rafael Nadal [ Images ] to win the title for the fourth time last year, was barely made to sweat in reaching the quarter-finals of the 2.27 million euro ($3.52 million) clay-court tournament with a second straight-sets win.

Federer, Nadal cruise

David Ferrer, the fifth seed, saw his hopes of a first Masters title dashed when he lost an all-Spanish battle 7-6, 6-2 against his Davis Cup team mate Fernando Verdasco [ Images ].

Verdasco edged the first set 7-4 on the tie-break and took a 4-1 lead in a second set that was tighter than the scoreline suggests, with Ferrer scrapping for everything.

Nadal, the world number two, is playing Andy Murray [ Images ], who turned 21 on Thursday, in the final match on centre-court.