Spanish dynamo Rafael Nadal put on an impressive display at the ATP/WTA Pacific Life Open on Saturday with a typical swashbuckling second-round victory.
The 20-year-old second seed signalled his intentions to challenge World No. 1 Roger Federer for the title, using a precision forehand and steady serve to overpower Arnaud Clement 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) in their second-round match at the US$5.3 million hardcourt tournament in the California desert.
The two-time French Open champ Nadal is considered one of three or four players who have a chance at halting the Swiss superstar's 41-match win streak.
PHOTO: AP
Federer was due to open his campaign yesterday against Argentina's Guillermo Canas.
Also through to the next round was 1998 Roland Garros champ Carlos Moya, hard-serving American Andy Roddick and Richard Gasquet, of France, who won the battle of the youngsters over Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro.
In the women's tournament Russian top seeds Svetlana Kuznetsova (No 2), Nadia Petrova (No 4) and Dinara Safina (No 9) all moved through to the third round.
PHOTO: AP
Nadal improved to 3-1 lifetime record over France's Clement. His next match will be against countryman Fernando Verdasco who defeated Andreas Seppi of Italy 7-6 (7/5), 6-3.
"I served very well in the first set," the left-handed Spaniard said. "I had 10 aces, and I don't do that every day."
Nadal hit 31 winners and served 58 percent in the one hour, 44 minute match on the main stadium at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
"The second set I had some mistakes, three double faults in one game and two in another, but I am not worried because I have a good feeling with the forehand and when I am playing well, I feel very well with the forehand," he said.
Nadal is off to a 10-4 start this year and is seeking his first tournament win since capturing the French Open last year.
Nadal's opponents might be eager to know that he says he is hitting his forehand better now than he did in 2005 when he won 11 singles titles.
"Maybe that was one of my best moments with my forehand," Nadal said. "I am playing better than I did in 2005."
Roddick won the battle of the big servers, defeating Spain's Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 in a night match.
The 24-year-old Roddick had more aces (15-12) than Lopez and won 84 percent of his first serve points.
Canas is back making waves again after being persona non grata on the ATP Tour for 15 months while serving a drugs suspension.
The 29-year-old Canas, who last month won his first tournament in three years, easily beat Czech Jan Hajek 6-1, 6-1 in a first round match on Saturday.
This is Canas's first Masters Series tournament since 2004 as he continues his comeback from a doping suspension which had seen him originally banned for two years before he successfully had his sanction cut to 15 months.
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