Shanghai, China (SportsNetwork.com) - Reigning champion Novak Djokovic and former runners-up Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer led the charge into the third round at the $3.85 million Shanghai Masters tennis event.
The top-seeded world No. 2 Djokovic drubbed helpless Spaniard Marcel Granollers 6-2, 6-0, while the second-seeded world No. 1 Nadal whipped Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3, 6-2 and the fifth-seeded former No. 1 and 2010 Shanghai finalist Federer handled Italian Andreas Seppi 6-4, 6-3 on the hardcourts at Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena.
"Seppi did a good job of hanging around," Federer said. "That's the kind of first-round match you want in this particular situation I'm in right now."
The Australian Open champion and U.S. Open and Wimbledon runner-up Djokovic is the reigning Shanghai Masters champ, having beaten then two-time reigning champion Andy Murray in last year's final. Djokovic also beat the U.S. and French Open champion Nadal this past Sunday in the final at the China Open in Beijing. Nadal was a Shanghai runner-up in 2009.
Up next for Djokovic will be Italian Fabio Fognini, while Nadal will meet Argentine Carlos Berlocq and Federer will encounter former top-10 Frenchman Gael Monfils.
Third-seeded French Open runner-up and 2011 Shanghai finalist David Ferrer doused Czech Lukas Rosol 6-3, 6-4, while fourth-seeded former Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych topped Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 and sixth-seeded former U.S. Open champ Juan Martin del Potro came from behind to survive a match against tough German Philipp Kohlschreiber 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4).
"It was really tough for me," said del Potro. "I couldn't run a lot. I think my serve helped me a lot to keep playing for the three sets because I made many aces. With my serve I didn't run too much. I was lucky in the tiebreak because he made a few mistakes. I won a really tough match."
Del Potro is fresh off his hardcourt title in Tokyo last week and will face resurgent German Tommy Haas here on Thursday.
In other second-round action involving top-10 seeds, No. 7 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France foiled Spaniard Pablo Andujar 6-3, 6-2, while No. 8 Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka held off tall South African Kevin Anderson 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 and No. 10 Canadian Milos Raonic edged out Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 7-6 (7-1), 3-6, 6-3. The hot Raonic was last week's Tokyo runner-up to del Potro and titled in Bangkok two weeks ago.
In other play involving seeds, a No. 11 Haas tackled fellow German Daniel Brands 6-4, 6-4; No. 12 Japanese Kei Nishikori got past Austrian Jurgen Melzer 6-4, 3-6, 6-1; Berlocq bounced No. 14 American John Isner 6-4, 7-6 (7-4); No. 15 Spaniard Nicolas Almagro bested Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-4; and Fognini took out No. 16 Spaniard Tommy Robredo 7-6 (7-3), 2-1, as Robredo retired with a wrist injury.
Additionally, Monfils defeated promising Canadian Vasek Pospisil 7-5, 7-6 (7-4) and German Florian Mayer dismissed Frenchman Benoit Paire 7-6 (7-1), 7-5 on Day 4.
This week's champion will collect $730,000.
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