By Chris Soderstrom
World No. 1 Rafael Nadal pleased a sell out home crowd yesterday with a hard-fought three set victory over Latvian star Ernests Gulbis at the Madrid Masters.
Playing for the first time since guiding Spain to a Davis Cup final match-up with Argentina, the 2005 champion claimed the crucial break before going on to win 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.
“It was a very tough match and an important one to win,” the 22-year-old said.
”Gulbis is young with a great future ahead of him.”
“He fought back well in the second set, winning the important games. I pulled out my best game when I had to.”
Nadal’s third round opponent will be French 15 th seed Richard Gasquet, a 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-3 victor over America’s Mardy Fish.
Fourth seed Andy Murray was another to progress. He was gifted a third round clash with Croat Marin Cilic after Italy’s Simone Bolelli retired with an injured shoulder in the second set.
“I was really happy with how I served and moved,” said Murray, who led 6-0, 2-1 before his Italian opponent retired. “There was a lot for me to take advantage of. He stopped for a shoulder problem, but he seemed to be hitting his serve fine to me.”