Blake ousted in Madrid

Oct 14, 2008 - 11:18 PM MADRID, Spain (Ticker) -- The time off did not help James Blake.

The 11th-seeded American was upset, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, by Gilles Simon on Tuesday in the second round of the $3 million Mutua Madrilena Masters.

Blake, who received an opening-round bye, was seeing his first action since losing to Mardy Fish in the third round of the U.S. Open in late August. Following that setback, the 28-year-old pulled out of the United States' Davis Cup semifinal tie with Spain due to mental and physical fatigue.

Simon had never taken a set from Blake in two previous meetings, and it looked to be more of the same at the outset of Tuesday's match, as the Frenchman never forced a break point in losing the opening set.

The 24-year-old took control from that point, however, claiming two breaks in the second set and one in the third. A three-time champion this season, Simon will face either fifth-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko or American qualifier Robby Ginepri in the third round.

Headlining Tuesday's five second-round matches is top-seeded Rafael Nadal, who defeated unseeded Latvian Ernests Gulbis, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.

Nadal, seeing his first action since claiming a pair of singles victories in Spain's Davis Cup win over the U.S., leads the ATP with eight titles and a 77-9 record this season.

The world No. 1 and 2005 champion of this hardcourt event, Nadal faced Gulbis for the first time at Wimbledon earlier this year, dropping the first set before taking the second-round encounter, 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3, en route to the championship.

Advancing to the third round earlier Tuesday was U.S. Open runner-up Andy Murray, who was trouncing lucky loser Simone Bolelli, 6-0, 2-1, when the Italian retired with a shoulder injury.

"I've been playing really, really well in practice in the last few weeks, better than I was playing throughout the summer, I was hitting the ball much better," said Murray, who won the first seven games in the match and dropped just one point on serve in the opening set. "I had a few nerves and the conditions are tough here. I was really happy with the way I served and moved."

Up next for the fourth-seeded Scot is Croatia's Marin Cilic, a 6-2, 6-3 winner over No. 13 Fernando Verdasco of Spain.

"It is always more painful to be defeated at home." Verdasco said. "I have always said that this tournament is very special to me. Sometimes having a bye is a double-edged sword because you play against someone who has already played a match and you haven't played any and in places like Madrid where, with the altitude, you can feel its effects."

There was no upset for No. 15 Richard Gasquet, though the Frenchmen was forced to go the distance in a 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 6-3 second-round victory over American Mardy Fish.

Phillip Kohlschreiber, Feliciano Lopez, Victor Hanescu, Robin Soderling, Gael Monfils, Jarkko Nieminen and Marcel Granollers claimed first-round victories Tuesday.

First prize is just over $490,000.