MIAMI, March 24: Rafael Nadal launched his bid for a second ATP Masters Series title in as many tournaments with a second-round victory over Ricardo Mello in the Sony Ericsson Open on Friday.

The second-seeded Spaniard, who won his first title of 2007 at the Indian Wells Masters Series event on Sunday, defied difficult conditions to beat Brazil’s Mello 7-6 (9/7), 6-2.

Nadal, third-seeded American Andy Roddick and 12th-seeded Scottish teen Andy Murray all advanced, but eighth-seeded American James Blake was ousted by France's Florent Serra and Australian Lleyton Hewitt withdrew before his first match with a sore back.

On the women's side, second-seeded Justine Henin of Belgium reached the third round, as did fourth-seeded compatriot Kim Clijsters and Indian Wells women's winner Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, the 16th seed.

Results (x denotes seeding):

Men (Second round): Robert Kendrick (US) bt Raemon Sluiter (NED) 6-4, 6-4; David Ferrer (ESP) bt Juan Monaco (ARG) 6-2, 6-2; Florent Serra (FRA) bt James Blake (US x8) 7-6 (10/8), 2-6, 6-3; Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) bt Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 6-0, 7-5; Olivier Rochus (BEL) bt Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 6-3, 6-4; Michael Llodra (FRA) bt Dominik Hrbaty (SVK) 6-3, 6-2; Fernando Gonzalez (CHI x5) bt Thomas Johansson (SWE) 7-5, 6-3; Novak Djokovic (SRB x10) bt Daniele Bracciali (ITA) 7-6 (7/4), 6-4; Gilles Simon (FRA) bt Luis Horna (PER) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4); Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) bt Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) 6-2, 5-7, 6-0; Simone Bolleli (ITA) bt Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) 6-7 (0/7), 6-3, 6-4; Mikhail Youzhny (RUS x16) bt Teimuraz Gabashvili (RUS) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3; Rafael Nadal (ESP x2) bt Rocardo Mello (BRA) 7-6 (9/7), 6-2; Andy Murray (GBR x12) bt Paul Goldstein (US) 6-2, 7-6 (7/4); Feliciano Lopez (ESP) bt Marat Safin (RUS) 7-5, 7-6 (7/2); Andy Roddick (US x3) bt Martin Vassallo Arguello (ARG) 6-3, 6-2.

First round: Arnaud Clement (FRA) bt Albert Montanes (ESP) 6-4, 6-1; Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) bt Andreas Seppi (ITA) 7-5, 7-5; Gaston Gaudio (ARG) bt Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo (ESP) 7-5, 1-6, 6-3; Fabrice Santoro (FRA) bt Christophe Rochus (BEL) 5-7, 7-5, 6-2; Filippo Volandri (ITA) bt Nicolas Mahut (FRA) 6-3, retired, left foot; Alejandro Falla (COL) bt Sergio Roitman (ARG) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Women (Second round): Justine Henin (BEL x2) bt Vania King (US) 6-4, 6-1

Li Na (CHN) bt Tamira Paszek (AUT) 6-2, 6-0; Virginie Razzano (FRA) bt Martina Muller (GER) 6-4, 7-6 (7/2); Jelena Jankovic (SRB x7) bt Shuai Peng (CHN) 6-2, 6-4; Dinara Safina (RUS) bt Laura Granville (US) 6-1, 6-1; Samantha Stosur (AUS) bt Olga Poutchkova (RUS) 6-2, 6-2; Mara Santangelo (ITA) bt Jill Craybas (US) 6-3, 6-1; Tatiana Golovin (FRA) bt Tatiana Poutchek (BLR) 6-1, 7-6 (10/8); Kim Clijsters (BEL x4) bt Akiko Morigami (JPN) 4-6, 6-0, 6-0; Vera Zvonareva (RUS) bt Meilen Tu (US) 6-4, 6-2; Katarina Srebotnik (SLO) bt Alina Jidkova (RUS) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3; Ekaterina Bychkova (RUS) bt Severine Bremond (FRA) 6-4, 7-5; Ai Sugiyama (JPN) bt Anastasiya Yakimova (BLR) 6-4, 6-0; Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) bt Vasilisa Bardina (RUS) 6-1, 6-0; Nadia Petrova (RUS x6) bt Nathalie Dechy (FRA) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2); Daniela Hantuchova (SVK x16) bt Michelle Larcher de Brito (POR) 7-5, 6-0.

First round; Victoria Azarenka (BLR) bt Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) 6-0, 6-4; Catalina Castano (COL) bt Jarmila Gajdosova (SVK) 6-3, 7-5; Vera Dushevina (RUS) bt Nicole Pratt (AUS) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Julia Vakulenko (UKR) bt Eleni Daniilidou (GRE) 6-4, 6-4. –Agencies