Thu May 29 12:12:11 2008

Comment | Email | Print

Nadal rolls; Nalbandian, Blake bow out in Paris

---

Paris, France (Sports Network) - Rafael Nadal improved to 23-0 all-time here, while sixth-seeded Argentine David Nalbandian and seventh-seeded American James Blake were a pair of second-round upset victims Thursday at the 2008 French Open.

The second-seeded Nadal blew out Frenchman Nicolas Devilder 6-4, 6-0, 6-1 on Day 5 at Roland Garros, where the Spaniard is seeking a record-tying fourth straight title. Nadal had to wait out a rain delay before advancing, as inclement weather affected the festivities here for the third time in five days.

Nadal is now 110-2 in his last 112 clay-court matches since 2005. He beat the great Roger Federer in the last two French Open finals.

The former Tennis Masters Cup champion and former Wimbledon runner-up Nalbandian was shocked by 145th-ranked French wild card Jeremy Chardy 3-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2, while Blake was bounced by rising 19-year-old Latvian Ernests Gulbis 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. The world No. 7 Nalbandian reached the French Open semifinals in 2004 and 2006, while Blake, who struggles mightily on clay, has never made it past the third round at this Parisian major. Blake has fallen in the first or second round here in five out of six trips.

Ninth-seeded Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka reached the round of 32 by besting young Croat Marin Cilic 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-4), 6-1, while 15th-seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny crushed helpless Argentine Maximo Gonzalez 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.

Meanwhile, 24th-seeded Chilean Fernando Gonzalez held off Spaniard Pablo Andujar 7-5, 6-0, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-3); 26th-seeded Finn Jarkko Nieminen edged out Argentine Martin Vassallo Arguello 7-5, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2); 28th-seeded Croat Ivan Ljubicic leveled Argentine Diego Junqueira 6-3, 6-4, 6-2; and 30th- seeded Russian Dmitry Tursunov trounced Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 7-6 (7-4), 6-0, 6-0.

American Bobby Reynolds lost to Ecuadorian veteran Nicolas Lapentti 7-5, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5.