Despite wins Nadal,Djokovic,slam blue clay

World number two Rafa Nadal dispatched former number three Nikolay Davydenko 6-2 6-2 to reach the third round of the Madrid Open

World number two Rafa Nadal dispatched former number three Nikolay Davydenko 6-2 6-2 to reach the third round of the Madrid Open on Wednesday before adding his voice to criticism of the new blue clay courts. Nadals great rival Novak Djokovic slammed organisers of the Masters event and the ATP after his laboured second-round victory on Tuesday night,saying the Manolo Santana show court at the futuristic Magic Box arena was too slippery and complaining that players concerns were being ignored.

After seeing off Russian Davydenko,Nadal echoed the world number ones gripes and called for the familiar red clay to be reinstated. Officials argue that the blue courts make it easier for TV viewers to follow the yellow balls. The court is not one that makes you feel comfortable, Nadal,who won back-to-back clay titles in Monte Carlo and Barcelona before heading to Madrid,said.

You have to be realistic,added the French Open champion, who will play compatriot and 15th seed Fernando Verdasco on Thursday for a place in Fridays quarter-finals. The court is a difficult court,its very slippery and it makes supporting movements and getting back to defend very tough. But the only thing we can do now is turn the page and we are not going to get the red courts back tomorrow so we have to adapt to the blue courts and the conditions as well as possible and hope for a change next year.

Big guy

American eighth seed John Isner became the first casualty at the tournament when he was pipped 7-6 7-6 by fellow big-serving giant Marin Cilic. Cilic,who stands at 1.98 metres to Isners 2.06 metres,produced when it counted in the tiebreaks,winning the first 7-4 and the second 7-3 to set up a meeting with former US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro or Mikhail Youzhny. Neither player managed to break the others serve as Cilic followed up his five-set victory over Isner at last years Australian Open,their only previous meeting,with another narrow success.

Isner refused to blame the reverse on the court. I lost because I didnt do what I should have done out there and he was better than me, Isner told a news conference.

World number three Roger Federer,the 2009 champion,plays fast-rising Canadian Milos Raonic,who took a set off the Swiss maestro at the Indian Wells Masters in March,in their second-round match later on Wednesday. Djokovic will meet another Swiss,unseeded Stanislas Wawrinka,in the third round on Thursday.