Raphael Nadal’s return from injury gathered pace on Wednesday as the former world No.1 downed Argentina’s Martin Alund in straight sets to reach the Mexican Open tennis quarter-finals.

The second-seeded Nadal needed just 85 minutes to beat Alund 6-0 6-4 at the claycourt tournament and will next face another Argentine in Leonardo Mayer, who defeated Russia’s Andrey Kuznetsov 6-2 6-2.

Top-Seeded fellow Spaniard David Ferrer earlier downed American Wayne Odesnik 6-2 6-1 to book his place in the final eight.

Argentina’s Horacio Zeballos, seeded eighth, defeated Daniel Gimeno-Traver of Spain 6-2 6-3, Santiago Giraldo of Colombia downed Portugal’s Joao Sousa 7-6 (10-8) 7-5, Italian Fabio Fognini outlasted Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia 2-6 6-4 7-6 (7-4), and Paolo Lorenzi of Italy accounted for Spain’s Pablo Andujar 6-4 6-3.

Nadal is making a comeback after being away from the tour for more than seven months with a left-knee injury.

He made the final of the VTR Open earlier this month in Chile before losing to Argentine Horacio Zeballos. A week later, he beat David Nalbandian to claim the Brazil Open title.

In the women’s, top seed Sara Errani of Italy beat Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard 7-6 (7-4) 6-2, while second-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain knocked out France’s Stephanie Foretz Gacon 6-1 6-2.

Fellow Frenchwoman Alize Cornet, ranked third, defeated Estrella Cabeza Candela of Spain 6-4 6-4 and another Spaniard Silvia Soler-Espinosa advanced when No.4 seed Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania had to retire while trailing 6-1 2-1.

Fifth seed Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands won through over Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain 6-1 6-2, and Italian sixth seed Francesca Schiavone proved too strong for Sesil Karatantcheva of Kazakhstan 6-3, 6-4.

The seventh-ranked Lourdes Dominguez Lino of Spain eliminated countrywoman Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor 6-4 3-0 (retired) and Karin Knapp of Italy stunned No.8 seed Romina Oprandi of Switzerland 6-4 7-6 (7-2).

AP ajw