Thu Jun 26 11:31:37 2008

Comment | Email | Print

Nadal reaches third round at Wimbledon

---

Wimbledon, England (Sports Network) - Two-time runner-up Rafael Nadal had to come from behind to win his second-round match Thursday at Wimbledon.

The second-seeded Nadal dropped the first set against rising 19-year-old Latvian Ernests Gulbis before charging back for a 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 victory on Day 4 at the All England Club.

Nadal, who is now 14-2 in his last 16 Wimbledon matches, lost to five-time champion Roger Federer in the last two finals here, while the four-time French Open champion from Spain has beaten Federer in the last three French Open finals, including one earlier this month in Paris.

The 22-year-old Nadal leads the ATP with 51 match wins this season, including a current 19-match winning streak and a grass-court title in London two weeks ago.

Nadal will face dangerous German Nicolas Kiefer in the round of 32.

In other action involving seeds, No. 17 Russian Mikhail Youzhny outlasted Italian Stefano Galvani 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 and a No. 27 Kiefer pasted Argentine Martin Vassallo Arguello 6-0, 6-3, 6-1 on yet another nice weather day in the village of Wimbledon.

Additional second-round wins came for Austrian Jurgen Melzer and Frenchman Arnaud Clement. Melzer took out American Jesse Levine 4-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.