Nicolas Almagro moves past Nicolas Mahut in Monte Carlo

Nicolas Almagro has made it safely into round three of the Monte Carlo Masters with a straight-sets triumph over Nicolas Mahut.

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The Spaniard, who is seeded 15th, saved two break points in the opening set before eventually taking it 7-3 on a tie-break.

Both players struggled to assert themselves in the second, but it was Almagro who found an elusive break of serve on his way to closing out the match 7-3 6-3.

Almagro will now meet Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka for a place in the quarter-finals.

Wawrinka saw off Croatia's Marin Cilic 6-0 6-2 in just 46 minutes earlier on Tuesday.