Nadal crushes Baghdatis, Federer scrapes through

(Reuters) - World number one Rafa Nadal began his quest for a third claycourt title in a month with a 6-1 6-3 drubbing of unseeded Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis in the Madrid Masters second round on Wednesday.

Third seed Roger Federer had a much less comfortable time and saved a match point before finishing off unseeded Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 7-6 6-7 7-6.

Novak Djokovic, the world number two, maintained his unbeaten start to the year with a 6-3 6-4 victory over unseeded South African Kevin Anderson while fourth-seeded Briton Andy Murray went through 6-4 3-6 6-0 against Gilles Simon of France.

Nadal, who won back-to-back tournaments in Monte Carlo and Barcelona last month, did not face a break point on his serve and converted his first match point when he whipped a trademark forehand winner down the line.

The victory over Baghdatis took the 24-year-old Spaniard’s record on clay since 2005 to 187 wins and six defeats and set up a last-16 meeting with Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro.

The resurgent former world number four dismissed Croat Marin Cilic 6-3 6-0 as he continued his comeback from a wrist injury.

Nadal said he would like to have avoided the powerful Del Potro so early in the tournament.

“It’s one of those matches you can win or lose and anything could happen,” he said. “I will try to play at my top level, aggressively and with more intensity.

“I am coming into the match in good form and I will try to maintain that. The winner will take away a lot of confidence for the rest of the tournament.”

Federer had to draw on all his experience to see off an inspired Lopez in a match that riveted the capacity crowd in the Magic Box arena for almost three hours.

“You have been there before so you don’t get too carried away and at the end of the day it’s just a tennis match,” said the Swiss who faces unseeded Belgian Xavier Malisse on Thursday. “I am really relieved to have come through.”

Clijsters skips Rome but hopes to make French Open

(Reuters) - Kim Clijsters is focusing solely on trying to get fit for the French Open starting on May 22 and will not play next week’s Rome international or any tournament before Paris, the Belgian said on her blog.

The world number two is still a doubt for Roland Garros after injuring her ankle at her cousin’s wedding last month. Clijsters, twice a finalist in Paris, was already struggling with a painful shoulder and wrist. “I have been able to pick up a tennis racket in my hands for the first time in five weeks,” she wrote on www.kimclijsters.be.

“We are taking it day by day. I will not in any case play any tournament in May. We will focus on being ready for Roland Garros. I can only say that we hope everything goes well and that I have trained sufficiently to be in Paris.”