MADRID, Spain – Rafael Nadal moved within two wins of clinching the year-end No. 1 ranking, defeating Ernests Gulbis 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 Tuesday to reach the third round of the Madrid Masters.

Next up for Nadal, the 2005 Madrid champion, will be 15th-ranked Richard Gasquet. Gasquet overcame 23 aces by Mardy Fish to win 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-3.

Nadal was taken to four sets by Gulbis en route to the Wimbledon title, and Tuesday's match was similarly troubling for the Spaniard.

Nadal has never been a fan of the Spanish capital's high altitude and the extra speed it brings to the hard court. He had a difficult time keeping up with the Latvian as he stuck his shots, including a backhand down the line to break for 2-0 in the second.

In the deciding set, Gulbis had a break opportunity in the third game. But Nadal held and broke in the next game as Gulbis smashed a forehand long. Nadal served out and pumped his fists in relief at the end of his 2-hour, 22-minute opening match.

In other second-round matches, U.S. Open finalist Andy Murray advanced while 11th-seeded James Blake and 13th-seeded Fernando Verdasco lost.

Murray moved on when Simone Bolelli of Italy retired with an apparent shoulder injury while trailing 6-0, 2-1. Murray will next play Croatia's Marin Cilic, who beat Verdasco 6-2, 6-3.

“I've been playing really, really well in practice the last few weeks, better than I was playing throughout the summer,” said Murray, who won his first Masters Series title in Cincinnati in August. “I'm probably mentally fresher now than the U.S. Open.”

Gilles Simon of France won 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to keep Blake winless in five appearances at the tournament. Simon saved four break points in the second set and converted two of his own before dominating the final set.

Blake has only a few tournaments left to qualify for the Masters Cup. He's in ninth place in the standings for the top-eight event.

In first-round play, the winners included French Open semifinalist Gael Monfils, qualifier Robby Ginepri of the U.S., qualifier Marcel Granollers of Spain, Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany, Jarkko Nieminen of Finland, Victor Hanescu of Romania and Robin Soderling of Sweden.