Spanish tennis star and World No.4 Rafael Nadal reached the third round of the Rome Masters after compatriot Nicolas Almagro pulled out due to injury here on Wednesday.
Almagro was trailing 0-3 to Nadal, a record seven-time champion, when he decided to withdraw due to a left knee injury, reports Efe.
The 30-year-old Nadal is set to play the next round against the winner of the duel between American Jack Sock and Czech Jiri Vesely.
This was the first appearance of the former world number one after winning his fifth Madrid Open crown last week, following his tenth Monte Carlo and Barcelona Open titles, also a record.
Nadal is hoping that his spark continues in the Rome Masters, the last big tournament before Roland Garros, where he has won a record nine times.
Earlier late on Tuesday, defending champion Andy Murray was eliminated after losing 6-2, 6-4 to Fabio Fognini in a second round match.
The Scotsman and current world No. 1 took the title here last year without losing a set, but has yet to return to top form after coming back from an elbow injury.
Italy's Fognini, who is ranked 29th in the world, was the clear favorite among the crowd at the Campo Centrale on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old underdog broke Murray's serve early and jumped out to a 4-0 lead on the way to winning the first set 6-2.
The 30-year-old Murray trailed 1-4 in the second set before breaking Fognini's serve and battling back to 4-5, but the Italian hung on to win the set and the match.
Meanwhile, Spanish tennis star David Ferrer defeated compatriot Feliciano Lopez 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 to become the 13th player in ATP World Tour history to reach the milestone 700 match wins.