21 April 2005	Thursday	11 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426

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BARCELONA, April 20: Spanish teenager Rafael Nadal issued a warning to his rivals in the Barcelona Open on Wednesday with a merciless 6-0 6-2 second-round destruction of Gilles Muller. The unseeded Muller, who hails from Luxembourg, was unable to match his opponent’s powerful two-handed drives and sizzling forehands. After a brief rally in the second set, he succumbed to the in-form Spaniard.

Nadal, who is at a career-high number 11 in the rankings, will now face a third round match against Dominik Hrbaty. The Slovakian beat Italy’s Potito Starace 6-3 6-2.

Earlier Guillermo Coria fought off a strong challenge from big-serving Dutchman Peter Wessels to earn a 6-2 6-7 6-4 victory.

Ferrero had far less problems in his match against Davis Cup team mate Lopez.

The former world number earned three break points in the ninth game with a clever lob and converted it on his first attempt with a firm backhand pass. He proceeded to serve out to love to take the match.

Unseeded Martin made a whirlwind start to reel off the first five games against a rusty Robredo, who had been given a bye in the first round.

Robredo rallied at the start of the second set, breaking in the second game on his way to a 3-0 lead.

Martin broke back in the seventh, stepped up the pressure on Robredo with a succession of powerful ground strokes and broke again in the ninth before serving out for the match.

Results (Second round): Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) bt Santiago Ventura (Spain) 6-3 6-2; Guillermo Canas (Argentina) bt Wayne Arthurs (Australia) 7-5 7-6(3); Guillermo Coria (Argentina) bt Peter Wessels (Netherlands) 6-2 6-7(4) 6-4; Agustin Calleri (Argentina) bt Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) 6-3 6-7(9) 7-6(1); Dominik Hrbaty (Slovakia) bt Potito Starace (Italy) 6-3 6-2; Rafael Nadal (Spain) bt Gilles Muller (Luxembourg) 6-0 6-2; Alberto Martin (Spain) bt Tommy Robredo (Spain) 6-1 6-4; Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) bt Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 6-4 6-4

Roddick ADVANCES

HOUSTON (Texas): Andy Roddick cruised past qualifier Matias Boeker 6-2, 6-3 in a first round matchup at the 380,000 dollar US Clay Court Championships on Tuesday.

Roddick, the top seed, won here in 2001 and 2002 and was the runner-up each of the past two years. He books a second round date with Robby Ginepri, who posted a 6-1, 6-4 triumph over fellow American Mardy Fish on Monday.

Also victorious Tuesday was second-seeded American Andre Agassi, who defeated Czech Michal Tabara 6-2, 7-6 (7/5).

Agassi - who claimed the crown in 2003, 15 years after his first championship here - will oppose Alex Calatrava in the second round.

The Spaniard routed 15-year-old American wild card Donald Young on Monday 6-1, 6-4.

Results (first round): Andy Roddick (USA ) bt Matias Boeker (USA) 6-2, 6-3; Andre Agassi (USA ) bt Michal Tabara (CZE) 6-2, 7-6 (7/5); Tommy Haas (GER ) bt Kristof Vliegen (BEL) 6-3, 7-5; Antony Dupuis (FRA) bt Nicolas Massu (CHI) 6-4, 6-0; Luis Horna (PER) bt Thomas Enqvist (SWE) 6-4, 6-3; Jeff Morrison (USA) bt Alexander Popp (GER) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4; James Blake (USA) bt Ivo Minar (CZE) 6-2, 7-5; Paul Goldstein (USA) bt Jiri Vanek (CZE) 6-1, 7-6 (7/4); Noam Okun (ISR) bt Ricardo Mello (BRA) 6-4, 7-5; Kevin Kim (USA) bt Adrian Garcia (CHI) 6-4, 6-4; Nicolas Lapentti (ECU) bt Tomas Zib (CZE) 6-3, 6-; Oscar Hernandez (ESP) bt Alex Bogomolov (USA) 6-1, 7-5.—Agencies