Ferrero will next meet Chilean 19th seed Fernando Gonzalez, who dished out a similar thrashing to Finnish 30th seed Jarkko Nieminen, whom he dismissed 6-3, 6-3, 6-2.

Ferrero, 23, is still seeking his first Grand Slam title after last year's final flop to compatriot Albert Costa, who later was also hitting top form after whipping French 32nd seed Arnaud Clement 6-2, 7-5, 7-5 in 3hrs 07min.

The defending champion will next meet either fellow Spaniard Tommy Robredo, the 28th seed, or three-time champion Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil, seeded 15, for a place in the semifinals.

Ferre-ro was awesome from the outset against Mantilla, destroying his rival with embarrassing ease in 100 minutes.

If Ferrero had won all of the pair's six previous encounters he had on those occasions at least had to break into a sweat.

This time, he was quite brutally clinical, squashing Mantilla with five aces, 52 winners and eight breaks of serve, while he gave up his own just once.

Mantilla won the Rome Masters Series title shortly before coming here, beating Costa along the way.

But Ferrero now looks the hottest bet to take the title here.

Mantilla said he was ready for a break after his hiding.

In another result Chile's Fernando Gonzalez moved into the last eight defeating Jarkko Nieminen of Finland 6-3, 6-3, 6-2