ROME, May 5: Rafael Nadal has been handed a relatively easy passage through the opening rounds of the Rome Masters as he prepares to launch his bid for a third consecutive title.

The Spanish second seed, like all the top eight seeds, was given a bye to the second round of the claycourt tournament, which begins on Monday.

There, he will play the winner of the match between American Robby Ginepri and Italian wild card Daniele Bracciali.

If Nadal triumphs again in Rome he will equal the Open Era record of three victories at the tournament, which is held by Thomas Muster, who won in 1990, 1995 and 1996.

Nadal's main rival for the title, world number one Roger Federer, opens his bid against either Nicolas Almagro or Tim Henman.

If the seedings work out, the Swiss would then face a third-round match against in-form Frenchman Richard Gasquet, who beat Vince Spadea to reach the last four of the claycourt event in Estoril on Friday.

Third seed Andy Roddick, who has only once gone beyond the last eight in five visits to the Italian capital, will meet out-of-form Argentine Gaston Gaudio, the 2004 French Open champion, or fellow American Mardy Fish.

Fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko could also face a tricky second-round match against fellow Russian and former world number one Marat Safin.—Reuters