The 11 remaining second round matches in the Monte Carlo Masters were resolved, leaving 16 players to contest the rest of the tournament.
All winners only required two sets, apart from qualifier Andreas Seppi, who ended the hopes of lucky loser in qualifying Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 4-6 6-3 7-5.
Possibly the best of the matches, though, was that between Novak Djokovic (9) and Borna Coric.
Djokovic was had an easy first round win, surrendering just a single game, but Coric offered a significantly greater challenge.
The pair provided a top class display of competitive tennis, clean ball striking throughout, including some delightful backhand exchanges
Djokovic achieved the initial edge, breaking for 3-1 in the opening set on the back of a winning backhand.
Coric answered in the seventh game, converting a chance thanks to a Djokovic errant backhand.
Novak, twice champion here, found himself in trouble at 5-5 and 15-40, but Borna donated a succession of mistakes to allow the Serb an escape and eventually a tie break resulted.
Here, Djokovic took control, moving inside the baseline to create angles which caused Coric all sorts of problems.
Seven points to two and Djokovic had a hard fought lead.
Set two was another struggle for both players with three straight service breaks. At 3-5 and 15-40, Coric was on the verge of defeat, but he held on, and then broke Djokovic when he served for the match, saving more match points.
Coric saved a total of ten match points, but Djokovic broke in the eleventh game and served out the entertaining match 7-6(2) 7-5
Djokovic will play Dominic Thiem (5) in the round of sixteen
Other second round results on the fourth day of main draw competition:
Rafa Nadal (1) defeated Aljaz Bedene 6-1 6-3
He will play Karen Khachanov in the round of sixteen
Karen Khachanov defeated wildcard Gilles Simon 6-2 6-2
Philipp Kohlschreiber defeated Albert Ramos-Vinolas (15) 6-4 6-2
He will play Grigor Dimitrov (4) in the round of sixteen
Roberto Bautista Agut (11) defeated Feliciano López 6-3 7-6(5)
He will play David Goffin (6) in the round of sixteen
Richard Gasquet defeated Diego Schwartzman (10) 6-2 6-1
He will play Mischa Zverev in the round of sixteen
Jan-Lennard Struff defeated Fabio Fognini (13) 6-4 6-2
He will play Sascha Zverev (3) in the round of sixteen
Kei Nishikori defeated Daniil Medvedev 7-5 6-2
He will play qualifier Andreas Seppi in the round of sixteen
Milos Raonic (14) defeated qualifier Marco Cecchinato 7-6(5) 6-2
He will play Marin Cilic (2) in the round of sixteen
Marin Cilic (2) defeated Fernando Verdasco 6-3 7-6(4)
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