Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have booked their places in the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters as the pair each passed tough tests after recent physical setbacks.

Nadal made a predictably successful return to his beloved clay on Wednesday, the Spanish third seed starting his quest for a ninth straight Monte Carlo Masters title with a 6-1 6-2 defeat of Australia’s Marinko Matosevic.

Tournament number one Djokovic put his injured right ankle under major pressure but still came up with a 4-6 6-1 6-4 defeat of Russian Mikhail Youzhny.

The Serb had waited until the last minute to make his decision on whether he could compete after rolling his ankle 10 days ago.

He spent two and a quarter hours on court, earning a late break for 5-4 in the decider as Youzhny missed a drop shot, before serving out the match.

“I’m not at 100 per cent but this was still a very good win,” said the top seed.

Nadal was totally in his comfort zone on another sunny, warm day on the Mediterranean, demolishing the Australian in 62 minutes.

He won the first seven points of the match, with Matosevic earning only two points in the first four games.

The Spaniard ended with 15 winners, eight unforced errors and conversions on six of nine break point chances in the crowd-pleasing rout.

“I played well with the right feelings and doing the right things, so I’m very happy,” he 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.”

Elsewhere in the second round, Czech fourth seed Tomas Berdych began his clay season with a defeat of Spain’s Marcel Granollers 7-5 6-4.

Croatian ninth seed Marin Cilic put out South African Kevin Anderson 6-2 6-3 while veteran Finn Jarkko Nieminen upset Canadian 12th seed Milos Raonic 6-3 1-6 7-6 (7-3).