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 widespread criticism of the new blue clay courts Nadal's great rival Novak Djokovic slammed organisers of the Masters event and the ATP after his laboured second-round victory on Tuesday, 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 one's gripes and called for the familiar red clay to be reinstated next year. 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 in an interview with Spanish TV. "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 Friday's quarter-finals. "The court is a difficult court, it's 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 significant casualty at the tournament when he was pipped 7-6 7-6 by fellow big-serving giant Marin Cilic. Unseeded Croat Cilic, who stands at 1.98 metres to Isner's 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 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro or Mikhail Youzhny. Neither player managed to break the other's serve as Cilic followed up his five-set victory over Isner at last year's Australian Open, their only previous meeting, with another narrow success. Isner refused to blame the reverse on the court, saying simply he had been beaten by a superior player on the day. "I lost because I didn't do what I should have done out there and he was better than me," Isner told a news conference. "I always felt that this tournament even with the red clay was the most slippery I have ever played on," added the 27-year-old. "It's tough for a big guy like me but my opponent was also a big guy and like I said he was just better and deserved to win and I did not deserve to win. "I just didn't play particularly well today which has nothing to do with the courts." 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. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter: @AO Sports)
