Rafael Nadal moved within two wins of earning the year-end No. 1 ranking when he struggled past Ernests Gulbis 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the third round of the Madrid Masters on Tuesday.
Next up for Nadal, champion here in 2005, will be 15th-ranked Richard Gasquet after the Frenchman overcame 23 aces by American Mardy Fish to win 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-3.
“I’m probably playing with less pressure than usual so whatever happens, things are good,” said Nadal, who has a slight nag in his right leg despite three weeks of rest coming in.
PHOTO: AP
Nadal received a four-set test from Gulbis en route to the Wimbledon title, and Tuesday’s match was similarly troubling for the Spaniard. But Gulbis often followed a crisp winner with an unforced error.
At 5-5, Gulbis responded to Nadal’s double-break chance with an ace, then double-faulted. In the next game Nadal saved a double-break chance on the run and closed out the first set when Gulbis volleyed into the net.
Nadal, who has never been a fan of the Spanish capital’s high altitude and the extra speed it brings to the hard court, had trouble keeping up with the Latvian as he stuck his shots, including a backhand down the line to break for 2-0 in the second.
PHOTO: EPA
A ragged Nadal eventually netted to force a deciding set in the mainly baseline contest.
“He played very well in the second set, but all the match was very tough because he played very aggressive,” Nadal said.
Several crosscourt forehands gave Gulbis a break opportunity in the third game, but Nadal held and broke in the next game as Gulbis smashed a forehand long. Nadal served out and pumped his fists in relief at the end of his 2-hour, 22-minute opening match.
He has a 5-0 record against Gasquet.
“My record is good against him, but it’s always a tough match with him,” the Olympic champion said.
In other second-round matches, US Open finalist Andy Murray advanced, but 11th-seeded James Blake and No. 13 Fernando Verdasco lost.
Murray moved on when Simone Bolelli of Italy retired with an apparent shoulder injury while trailing 6-0, 2-1.
“I’ve been playing really, really well in practice the last few weeks, better than I was playing throughout the summer,” said Murray, who picked up his first Masters Series title in Cincinnati in August. “I’m probably mentally fresher now than the US Open.”
Murray will next play Marin Cilic of Croatia, who beat Verdasco 6-2, 6-3.
Gilles Simon of France won 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to keep Blake winless in five appearances at the tournament. Simon saved four break points in the second set and converted two of his own before dominating the final set.
Blake has only a few tournaments left to qualify for the Masters Cup. He’s in ninth place in the standings for the top-eight event.
In first-round play, the winners included French Open semi-finalist Gael Monfils, US qualifier Robby Ginepri, Spanish qualifier Marcel Granollers, Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany, Jarkko Nieminen of Finland, Victor Hanescu of Romania, Robin Soderling of Sweden and Feliciano Lopez of Spain.
■ ZURICH OPEN
AP, ZURICH, SWITZERLAND
Sixth-seeded Patty Schnyder suffered her earliest defeat since Wimbledon while No. 7 Anna Chakvetadze exited early again in the first round of the Zurich Open on Tuesday.
Schnyder, who won her 11th career title in Bali last month, was upset by Czech teenager Petra Kvitova 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.
Chakvetadze was beaten by Romanian qualifier Monica Niculescu 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, her fifth loss in six matches since reaching the New Haven final in August.
The only other seed in action, No. 5 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, defeated Russian qualifier Vera Dushevina 6-4, 6-1.
The 18-year-old Kvitova announced her arrival on the WTA Tour at Memphis in February when, ranked 143rd, she became the lowest-ranked opponent ever to beat Venus Williams.
Schnyder became her third win over a top-20 player this year.
In their third set, the Swiss star led by 3-0 and two breaks.
“In the third set I was very bad,” Kvitova said. “But I hit winner, winner, winner and I was in the match again.”
Kvitova rallied to trail 3-4 then conceded only two more points, earning the victory when Schnyder netted a drive volley.
“It was a strange match,” Schnyder said. “Her game was in and out and I was not ready for the rallies when they came.”
Niculescu, with her injured left thigh heavily strapped, won 10 of the last 13 games to oust Chakvetadze.
Niculescu called for a trainer while leading 2-1 in the second set. The delay appeared to affect Chakvetadze’s timing — she was broken in her next two service games and trailed 5-1.
In the third set, Chakvetadze double-faulted to hand Niculescu a 3-2 lead, and then netted a backhand to lose serve again and trail 5-2.
Also, last year’s Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli of France defeated Agnes Szavay of Hungary 6-4, 6-0 to set up a second-round match with second-seeded Ana Ivanovic, Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain will meet Olympic champion Vera Zvonareva after beating Li Na of China 6-2, 6-4, and Francesca Schiavone of Italy beat Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 7-6 (3), 6-2.
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