MELBOURNE, Jan 14, 2008 - Rafael Nadal doused a spirited challenge from Serbian qualifier Viktor Troicki to work his way into the second round of the Australian Open on Monday. The Spanish left-hander, who has been ranked second behind 12-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer for the third straight year, was made to fight for every point by the 126th-ranked Troicki in the night centre court match. Nadal finally prevailed after two hours 35 minutes, winning 7-6 (7/3), 7-5, 6-1 and will next play Frenchman Florent Serra in the second round. Troicki, who was making his Grand Slam debut, had the benefit of winning three qualifying matches to earn his place against Nadal, who lost in the final of the Chennai Open to Russian Mikail Youzhny on the way to Australia. Nadal is playing in his fourth Australian Open and has progressed a round further in each of his previous appearances in Melbourne, last year beaten by eventual finlist Fernando Gonzalez in the quarter-finals. Nadal won six titles in 2007, including the French Open, and forced Federer into a five-set thriller in the Wimbledon final. The opening set was decided in a tiebreaker and Nadal set up four set points to go one up in just over an hour. Troicki again proved difficult to subdue and broke the Spaniard in the third game, before Nadal broke twice in the eighth and 12th to take a stranglehold on the match with a two sets to love lead. Troicki's serve was broken in the fourth game of the final set as Nadal took command, with the Serb's game beginning to unravel. Nadal finished strong and broke Troicki again in the sixth and served out the match.
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