RAFAEL NADAL avoided the same fate which befell Roger Federer as he strolled through a potentially tricky Rome Masters second-round match against Philipp Kohlschreiber.
World number one Federer was subjected to a humbling 2-6 6-1 7-5 defeat by Ernests Gulbis on Tuesday, but Nadal was quick out of the blocks yesterday and never looked back in a 6-1 6-3 win over the hard-working German.
The Spaniard chose not to play in Barcelona last week so as not to put too much strain on his fragile knees, but there was little sign of any injury worry here.
Nadal next faces Victor Hanescu of Romania.
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