Former world No.1 Rafael Nadal ended Australian Marinko Matosevic’s run at the Monte Carlo Masters in dominant style on Wednesday, showing just why he’s considered ‘the king of clay’.
Fellow top seeds Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray also made winning starts to their campaigns.
Having overcome Fernando Verdasco in a tough first-round encounter, Matosevic was outplayed by another Spaniard in Nadal who dispatched the 54th-ranked Australian 6-1 6-2.
Nadal began his favourite part of the year, the claycourt season, and a quest for a ninth straight Monte Carlo title, needing just 62 minutes to progress to the third round.
“I played well with the right feelings and doing the right things, so I’m very happy,” the third seed said.
“I had the right intensity, with no mistakes.
“I was trying to find a good feeling on the ball, to find the right rhythm. And I think I did, no? That gives me confidence.”
World No.1 Djokovic said he was pleased to have passed a huge test on his injured right ankle following a 4-6 6-1 6-4 defeat of Russian Mikhail Youzhny.
Djokovic admitted that at one point in the second set he felt some pain but played through it successfully, thanks in part to his heavy strappings.
Second seed Murray posted an uneventful 6-1 6-4 win over Frenchman Eduardo Roger-Vasselin.
Djokovic had waited until the last minute to make his decision on whether he could compete, having rolled his ankle on Davis Cup duty 10 days ago. He earned a late break for 5-4 in the final set as Youzhny missed a drop shot, before serving out the match.
“I think that my ankle is in a good state as the days are passing by,” said the winner. “Today was a big test. I had a great quality opponent.”
Elsewhere in the second round, Czech Tomas Berdych began his clay season with a defeat of Spain’s Marcel Granollers 7-5 6-4.
Croatian Marin Cilic put out South African Kevin Anderson 6-2 6-3, while Austrian Jurgen Melzer stunned Spanish 10th seed Nicolas Almagro 6-4 6-2 and veteran Finn Jarkko Nieminen upset Canadian 12th seed Milos Raonic 6-3 1-6 7-6 (7-3).