RIO DE JANEIRO: Rafael Nadal won through to the quarter-finals of the clay-court event in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday, beating compatriot Nicolas Almagro in straight sets 6-3, 7-5. The troubled Mallorcan is the top seed in what is his second tournament since being humbled in the first round of the Australian Open. It was Nadal’s 14th victory in 15 meetings with Almagro and he will face Oleksandr Dolgopolov in the next round after the Ukrainian beat another Spaniard, Inigo Cervantes-Huegun 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, in three sets. The 14-time major winner is joined in the next round by compatriot David Ferrer. Seeded two, Ferrer overcame the loss of the opening set to beat fellow countryman Albert Ramos 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 and set up a meeting with Thiem in the last eight.