Rafael Nadal pleased with Canadian progress

Rafael Nadal insists he is happy with his current form after he beat Sergiy Stakhovsky in straight sets at the Montreal Masters.

The ‘King of Clay’ is the seventh seed for the tournament and demonstrated his determination to go deep in the tournament as he secured a 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 victory.

Nadal was forced to wait for two hours on Wednesday due to rain but he showed no ill-effects against Stakhovsky.

Nadal will now take on Mikhail Youzhny in the third round and insists his current form is pleasing.

“I go day by day. Today is a victory that I am happy with,” Nadal said.

“I’m satisfied with the way that I played. I’m practising well and practising more than ever now because I am healthy and because I feel that’s what I need today.

“I won in Hamburg a couple weeks ago, that was an important victory. Six consecutive wins hasn’t happened for me very often during the season. That’s a positive moment.”

Youzhny’s shock win over Gilles Simon was not the only surprise on Wednesday afternoon as a number of seeded players exited the tournament.

Kei Nishikori beat Pablo Andujar 6-3 6-3 but there were defeats for Grigor Dimitrov and Marin Cilic.

Dimitrov lost to America’s Jack Sock 5-7 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 and Cilic fell 6-3 6-4 to Bernard Tomic.

Tomas Berdych was also eliminated by Donald Young 7-6 (7-5) 6-3.