Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer through to third round in Shangahi Masters

Rafael Nadal

RAFAEL Nadal led the way as the top five seeds eased into the third round of the Shanghai Masters overnight with comfortable straight sets wins.

The world no1 saw off Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka 6-4 6-4 and has now beaten the the US Open quarter-finalist seven times without losing a set.

Roger Federer produced another between-the-legs winner in his 6-3 6-4 win over John Isner, but there was heartbreak again for Andy Roddick, who was felled by injury for the second year in a row.

Nadal is in the hunt for his eighth title of the season after taking number seven in Tokyo at the weekend, but admitted to feeling the effects of a long and draining season.

"Playing against Wawrinka, it's impossible have an easy match," he said. "He is a very good player and it's was difficult to win in straight sets.

"For sure, it wasn't easy, but it wasn't one of these very, very difficult days."

Number two Novak Djokovic stepped up his bid to conquer China for a second week running, after victory at the China Open the Beijing, rolling over Ivan Ljubicic 6-3 6-3.

Federer paid tribute to his opponent after his win.

"I thought was a really good match because I knew the danger in John Isner today. He's really a great player, rising, up and coming. I knew I was in for a tough match with a really difficult draw," the Swiss maestro said.
"I'm really happy I was able to come true and ... play a match with a lot of energy."

Fourth seed Andy Murray, who was bounced early from the China Open, bested unheralded local favourite Bai Yan, 6-2 6-2, but needed three match points to get the job done over the world no465.

"I started well, got off to a pretty quick lead, up 4-0, love, so that definitely helped," Murray said.

"I moved well from the start of the match and I was hitting the ball very clean. I served pretty well. I didn't feel out of position too often. So that's good."

American Andy Roddick's Shanghai injury woes continued - a year to the day after a knee injury sent him out of the 2009 tournament, a strained groin muscle forced him to retire against Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

"I haven't had an MRI (scan) yet. But in that part of the leg, on muscle strains, even if it's a tear, it's not a surgical procedure," Roddick said.

Roddick said he picked up the problem last week in Tokyo and tried to play through it and hopes to be back within three weeks.

Two-time French Open finalist Robin Soderling, the fifth seed, beat Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic, 6-3 7-6 (7-5).

German Mischa Zverev eliminated holder and sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko, whose horror season continued with a 6-4 7-6 (7-3) loss.

Frenchmen Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet both had to win two matches in a day due to rainy weather which has plagued the event and forced some play onto indoor courts.

The 12th seed Tsonga finished with a defeat of American Sam Querrey, 7-6 (9-7) 6-1 while Gasquet put out compatriot Gael Monfils 6-4 3-6 6-4. Jeremy Chardy added to the winning French total as he beat Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-1 5-7 6-2.

AFP