BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) - Spain put three men into the quarter-finals of the Barcelona Open on Thursday as home hero Rafael Nadal lined up to complete his three-year, clay-court century.

The three-time champion, aiming for his fourth straight title at the Real club, hoped to win his 100th clay contest from his last 101 outings when he faced off against Spanish friend Feliciano Lopez in the third round.

Nadal's streak began at Monte Carlo in 2005.

The number two, facing three more title defence weeks before the May 25 start of Roland Garros, will be keen to join fellow seeded compatriots David Ferrer and Tommy Robredo in the last eight in the sunny Catalan capital.

Second seed Ferrer laboured before finally overcoming persistent Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, taking two and a half hours to get the job done.

Robredo, the sixth-seeded champion from 2004, ended the run of Argentine Guillermo Canas 6-1, 7-5.

Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka sprang a surprise on erratic Argentine third seed David Nalbandian 6-3, 6-1.

Albert Montanes joined his mates in the Spanish Armada, getting past tough Russian qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

Spain started the day with six men bidding for the quarters at an event won by locals for six of the past seven years.

Ferrer needed all of his bulldog determination to put down Lapentti, ranked 83rd now but standing sixth in the world nine years ago.

The Spanish favourite led early but was unable to impose, with Lapentti winning five of the last six games in first set.

Ferrer started to regain control with a break in the tenth game of the second to level and rode a break in the third to the hard-fought victory.

Ferrer will face off on Friday against Robredo, whom he leads 2-1, including a win last month in Valencia.