(adds Nadal quotes, paras 7-9)
By Simon Baskett and Mark Elkington
MADRID, Oct 19 - Top seed Rafael Nadal overcame
Romania's Victor Hanescu 7-6 6-3 to book a place in the third
round of the Madrid Masters on Wednesday.
World number two Nadal started slowly, perhaps showing the
effects of the tendinitis he has been suffering in his knees,
and Hanescu broke his serve in the first game.
The Spaniard had to work hard to break back in the sixth
game and then recovered from 3-0 down to win the tiebreak 7-5.
Hanescu had to be treated at courtside for an injury to his
left thigh early in the second set although it did not seem to
affect him.
Nadal, though, stepped up a gear and two breaks of serve
brought him victory.
He is guaranteed a third round tie against another Spaniard
with Carlos Moya and the 13th-seed Tommy Robredo playing later
on Wednesday.
Nadal said: "My knee was good enough. I was a little nervous
early on but it gave me no problems while I was playing.
"The medical staff say I am still not 100 percent but I felt
confident and was very pleased with my performance.
"We will have to see how things go after the tournament
before making a decision about next week in Basel."
MISERABLE RUN
Gaston Gaudio's miserable run of form continued after he
became the first seed to tumble out of the tournament following
a 7-6 6-2 second-round defeat by Jose Acasuso.
Acasuso won his all-Argentine duel with the seventh seed to
earn a third round match against Radek Stepanek of the Czech
Republic, who edged out British number one Tim Henman 6-4 1-6
6-3.
Henman shone briefly against the Czech during an impressive
second set but was unable to maintain the momentum and slipped
to his second defeat by Stepanek in a week.
"I am not really worried by the defeat," said Henman who
lost to Stepanek in Vienna last week. "I just need more match
practice. It's not my technique that's letting me down. Overall
I am excited about my game and playing pain-free.
"I am looking forward to starting with a clean slate next
year."
Third seed Nikolay Davydenko made short work of Slovakia's
Karol Beck, winning 6-4 6-1 to set up a meeting with American
Robby Ginepri.
Fourth seed Guillermo Coria, who has reached two Masters
Series finals before losing both to Nadal, stayed alive with a
6-3 6-4 win over Christophe Rochus and will meet Chile's
Fernando Gonzalez.
Ninth seed Thomas Johansson of Sweden disposed of Juan
Ignacio Chela 7-6 6-3 and meets another Argentine, David
Nalbandian, in his next match.
Later on Wednesday tall Croat Ivo Karlovic, who beat
Britain's Greg Rusedski on Tuesday, faces another big-hitter in
second seed Andy Roddick.