MADRID, Oct 15: Top seed Rafael Nadal survived a stern test by Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis at the Madrid Masters on Tuesday while fourth seed Andy Murray barely broke sweat as his second-round Italian opponent Simone Bolelli retired hurt.

World No 1 Nadal showed his trademark tenacity to win 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 in two hours 22 minutes but it could have been very different had Gulbis, ranked 54, held his nerve better.

The 20-year-old from Riga battled gamely with Nadal in the first set but crumbled at 5-5 with double faults and unforced errors to meekly surrender the opening set.

Gulbis unleashed blistering shots down both sides of the court in the second, showing why he already has the scalps of American James Blake and Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez this year.

His forehand was especially punishing for the French and Wimbledon champion to deal with as were a series of cheeky drop shots that helped the Latvian break Nadal and take the set.

But it was the simple shots that ultimately cost Gulbis and after failing to convert a break point against the Spaniard in the third game of the final set, he imploded in the fourth with four unforced errors to effectively hand Nadal the match.

The 22-year-old Mallorcan faces 15th seed Richard Gasquet in the third round after the Frenchman beat American Mardy Fish 6-7, 6-4, 6-3 on Tuesday.

Murray had a much easier ride in his first outing since losing to Federer in the US Open final five weeks ago, and was leading 6-0, 2-1 when world No 43 Bolelli quit.

The Italian seemed to injure his shoulder attempting a smash early in the second set and could not battle through the pain although it is unlikely he would have stopped Murray anyway.

The Scot now meets towering Croat Marin Cilic after the 20-year-old toppled 13th-seeded Madrid local Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 6-3.

American James Blake, the 11th seed, was bundled out by Frenchman Gilles Simon 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen survived a fightback from Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny to win 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 in his first round match.

Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber, France’s Gael Monfils, Sweden’s Robin Soderling, American Robby Ginepri, Romania’s Victor Hanescu and Marcel Granollers from Barcelona also all made it into the second round.

Tuesday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Second round: 1-Rafael Nadal (Spain) bt Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) 7-5, 3-6, 6-3; 15-Richard Gasquet (France) bt Mardy Fish (US) 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 6-3; 4-Andy Murray (Britain) bt Simone Bolelli (Italy) 6-0, 2-1 – Bolelli retired; Marin Cilic (Croatia) bt 13-Fernando Verdasco (Spain) 6-2, 6-3; Gilles Simon (France) bt 11-James Blake (US) 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.

First round: Feliciano Lopez (Spain) bt Albert Montanes (Spain) 7-6 (7-4), 6-3; Victor Hanescu (Romania) bt Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3; Robin Soderling (Sweden) bt Florent Serra (France) 6-3, 6-4; Robby Ginepri (US) bt Michael Llodra (France) 6-4, 6-4; Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) bt Carlos Moya (Spain) 6-2, 6-2; Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) bt Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 7-5, 3-6, 6-2; Marcel Granollers (Spain) bt Paul-Henri Mathieu (France) 6-4, 6-4; Gael Monfils (France) bt Fabio Fognini (Italy) 6-2, 6-4.

Monday’s results:

First round: Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) bt Rainer Schuettler (Germany) 6-1, 6-2; Tommy Robredo (Spain) bt Andreas Seppi (Italy) 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 6-3; Marin Cilic (Croatia) bt Olivier Rochus (Belgium) 6-3, 7-5; Gilles Simon (France) bt Igor Andreev (Russia) 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (9-7); Simone Bolelli (Italy) bt Nicolas Almagro (Spain) 7-6 (7-4), 6-1; Mardy Fish (US) bt Steve Darcis (Belgium) 6-1, 6-4.

SCHNYDER LOSES

ZURICH: Swiss sixth seed Patty Schnyder suffered a first round defeat in front of her home fans at the Zurich Open on Tuesday, losing 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to Czech qualifier Petra Kvitova.

Schnyder had been hoping to win her second Zurich title following her 2002 tournament triumph, but threw away a 3-0 lead in the third set to let her teenage opponent take control.

Russian seventh seed Anna Chakvetadze was another casualty on Tuesday, going down 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 to Romanian world No 66 Monica Niculescu.

With the tournament’s top four seeds all receiving byes into the second round, Polish world No 10 Agnieszka Radwanska was the highest seed in action and eased past Russian qualifier Vera Dushevina 6-4, 6-1.

Tuesday’s results:

First round: Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) bt 6-Patty Schnyder

(Switzerland) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4; Monica Niculescu (Romania) bt 7-Anna Chakvetadze (Russia) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; Marion Bartoli (France) bt Agnes Szavay (Hungary) 6-4, 6-0; Francesca Schiavone (Italy) bt Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2; 5-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) bt Vera Dushevina (Russia) 6-4, 6-1; Francesca Schiavone (Italy) bt Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2; Anabel Medina Garrigues (Spain) bt Na Li (China) 6-2, 6-4.

Monday’s results:

First round: Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) bt Amelie Mauresmo (France) 6-2, 6-1; Maria Kirilenko (Russia) bt 8-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) 7-5, 6-2; Alona Bondarenko (Ukraine) bt Alize Cornet (France) 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6).—Reuters