PARIS, May 28 (Agencies): Nine-time champion Rafael Nadal of Spain eased into the third round of the French Open with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 win against countryman Nicolas Almagro on Thursday.
Although the sixth-seeded Nadal had to save a break point in his opening service game, and was not always at his fluent best with his shot-making, he stepped up a gear in a dominant third set to secure his 13th win in 14 matches against Almagro.
Almagro showed admirable defensive qualities, saving three set points in the opening set. Nadal clinched it on serve with a crisp forehand winner and then broke Almagro at the start of the second set.
After saving two break points in the ninth game, Nadal hit two clean aces to move 5-4 ahead.
Nadal, dressed head to toe in electric blue, stood out on center court in somewhat gloomy and overcast conditions. He sealed victory in 2 hours, 19 minutes when Almagro stretched to return a powerful forehand down the line and swiped the ball out of court.
Fifth-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan became the first player to reach the second week of the tournament without even hitting a shot as Benjamin Becker, his third-round opponent on Friday, pulled out of the tournament with a muscle tear in his right shoulder.
Nishikori � who became the first man from Japan in 75 years to make it into the fourth round at Roland Garros in 2013 � will next face Lukas Rosol or Teymuraz Gabashvili on Sunday.
In other men�s second-round play, US Open champion Marin Cilic of Croatia, seeded ninth, had 10 aces as he advanced with a 7-6 (3), 6-1, 6-1 win against Italian qualifier Andrea Arnaboldi.
Leonardo Mayer of Argentina, seeded 23rd, won 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (1), 6-1 against big-serving Jerzy Janowicz of Poland, and Spaniard Pablo Andujar got the better of No. 22 Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany 6-1, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 3-6, 6-4.