HONG KONG: Rafael Nadal celebrated an opening-round win in grand slam style while Novak Djokovic moved through ruthlessly as the top two seeds reached the third round of the Shanghai Masters Wednesday.
Nadal, crushed in a Beijing semi-final by Marin Cilic four days ago, could not control his fist pumps and enthusiasm after getting back on track over James Blake 6-2, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4.
Second seed Djokovic, the Beijing champion, defeated Italian Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-1.
It was the opposite story for third seed Juan Martin Del Potro as the US Open champion crashed for a second straight week in Asia.
The luckless Argentine fell to Jurgen Melzer due to wrist tendonitis, stopping to hand over a 7-5, 2-1 win.
In Tokyo last week, Del Potro had complained of feeling listless and unable to find his game. The symptoms were still there in Shanghai, his second and final date in Asia.
Nadal said that after his Beijing let-down, getting past Blake was cause for celebration.
Fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gilles Simon, both Asian event winners in recent weeks, won for France.
Fifth seed Tsonga put out China's Zeng Shao Xuan 6-3, 6-3 while number eight Simon stopped Viktor Troicki 6-3, 6-4 in a replay of the Bangkok final won by the Frenchman.
Sweden's Roland Garros finalist Robin Soderling bucked the losing trend as he reached the third round over Nicolas Almagro of Spain 6-4, 7-5.
Former Shanghai champion Lleyton Hewitt couldn't get past unpredictable Gael Monfils as the French 11th seed knocked out the Australian 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Hewitt, titleholder in the city in 2002, when he won the season-ending Masters Cup, threw away a 2-0 lead in the final set against Monfils, winner of the Metz title last month.
Hewitt dropped six straight games to go out as he played the French youngster for the first time in two years.
Czech Tomas Berdych drew fire from Marat Safin after a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 loss, with the retiring Russian saying his opponent had faked an injury.
Nadal, crushed in a Beijing semi-final by Marin Cilic four days ago, could not control his fist pumps and enthusiasm after getting back on track over James Blake 6-2, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4.
Second seed Djokovic, the Beijing champion, defeated Italian Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-1.
It was the opposite story for third seed Juan Martin Del Potro as the US Open champion crashed for a second straight week in Asia.
The luckless Argentine fell to Jurgen Melzer due to wrist tendonitis, stopping to hand over a 7-5, 2-1 win.
In Tokyo last week, Del Potro had complained of feeling listless and unable to find his game. The symptoms were still there in Shanghai, his second and final date in Asia.
Nadal said that after his Beijing let-down, getting past Blake was cause for celebration.
Fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gilles Simon, both Asian event winners in recent weeks, won for France.
Fifth seed Tsonga put out China's Zeng Shao Xuan 6-3, 6-3 while number eight Simon stopped Viktor Troicki 6-3, 6-4 in a replay of the Bangkok final won by the Frenchman.
Sweden's Roland Garros finalist Robin Soderling bucked the losing trend as he reached the third round over Nicolas Almagro of Spain 6-4, 7-5.
Former Shanghai champion Lleyton Hewitt couldn't get past unpredictable Gael Monfils as the French 11th seed knocked out the Australian 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Hewitt, titleholder in the city in 2002, when he won the season-ending Masters Cup, threw away a 2-0 lead in the final set against Monfils, winner of the Metz title last month.
Hewitt dropped six straight games to go out as he played the French youngster for the first time in two years.
Czech Tomas Berdych drew fire from Marat Safin after a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 loss, with the retiring Russian saying his opponent had faked an injury.
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