Rafael Nadal moved within two more wins of earning the year-end No. 1 ranking when he struggled past Ernests Gulbis 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the third round of the Madrid Masters on Tuesday. Next up for Nadal, champion here in 2005, will be 15th-ranked Richard Gasquet after the Frenchman overcame 23 aces by American Mardy Fish to win 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-3. Nadal received a four-set test from Gulbis en route to the Wimbledon title, and Tuesday's match was similarly troubling for the Spaniard. But Gulbis often followed a crisp winner with an unforced error. At 5-5, Gulbis responded to Nadal's double-break chance with an ace then double-faulted. In the next game Nadal saved a double-break chance on the run and closed out the first set when Gulbis volleyed into the net. Nadal had trouble keeping up with the Latvian as he stuck his shots, including a backhand down the line to break for 2-0 in the second.A ragged Nadal eventually netted to force a deciding set in the mainly baseline contest. Several crosscourt forehands gave Gulbis a break opportunity in the third game, but Nadal held and broke in the next game as Gulbis smashed a forehand long. Nadal served out and pumped his fists in relief at the end of his 2-hour, 22-minute opening match. In other second-round matches, US Open finalist Andy Murray advanced, but 11th-seeded James Blake and No. 13 Fernando Verdasco lost. Murray moved on when Simone Bolelli of Italy retired with an apparent shoulder injury while trailing 6-0, 2-1. Murray will next play Marin Cilic of Croatia, who beat Verdasco 6-2, 6-3. Gilles Simon of France won 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to keep Blake winless in five appearances at the tournament. In first-round play, the winners included French Open semifinalist Gael Monfils, American qualifier Robby Ginepri, Spanish qualifier Marcel Granollers, Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany, Jarkko Nieminen of Finland, Victor Hanescu of Romania, and Robin Soderling of Sweden. Schnyder upset In Zurich, sixth-seeded Patty Schnyder suffered her earliest defeat since Wimbledon while No. 7 Anna Chakvetadze exited early again in the first round of the Zurich Open on Tuesday. Schnyder was upset by Czech teenager Petra Kvitova 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. Chakvetadze was beaten by Romanian qualifier Monica Niculescu 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, her fifth loss in six matches since reaching the New Haven final in August. The only other seed in action, No. 5 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, defeated Russian qualifier Vera Dushevina 6-4, 6-1. Also, 2007 Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli of France defeated Agnes Szavay of Hungary 6-4, 6-0 to set up a second-round match with second-seeded Ana Ivanovic, Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain will meet Olympic champion Vera Zvonareva after beating Li Na of China 6-2, 6-4, and Francesca Schiavone of Italy beat Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 7-6 (3), 6
