David Ferrer has edged out Richard Gasquet with a straight-sets win to reach the third round of the Italian Open this evening.
The Spaniard, a former finalist at the competition, beat his French counterpart 6-4 7-5 in a tight encounter that spanned 91 minutes in Rome.
The world number eight has reached at least the quarter-finals in his last three visits, and the 33-year-old made inroads toward maintaining that record with a solid first set.
He inflicted a crucial break of serve in the third game to move 2-1 and refused to let Gasquet - ranked 21 in the world - break back, maintaining the two-game cushion throughout.
Both players sat deadlocked on two games apiece early in the second set, with Ferrer, a beaten finalist to Rafael Nadal in 2010, losing his serve for the first time.
At 5-5, nothing could separate the duo but Ferrer forced a key break of serve to set him up for victory, which he ultimately took.
Shane Callaghan
