Safin too strong

Marat Safin made it through in straight sets

Click here for Wednesday's results from Monte Carlo

Former world number one Marat Safin halted the progress of 15-year-old Richard Gasquet with a straight sets victory to move into the third round.

Gasquet, the youngest qualifier for a Masters event, had defeated Argentina's Franco Squillari in the first round.

But he found the Russian too hot to handle, going down 6-4 6-1.

Safin next faces Argentine David Nalbandian, who walloped Swiss ninth seed Roger Federer 6-2, 6-1 in an hour to show his maiden career win at Estoril last weekend was no fluke.

American Andy Roddick won his third and fourth consecutive tiebreaks as he beat Bohdan Ulihrach 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (7-3).

Roddick came through his first round match with Fernando Gonzalez on Tuesday by a similar scoreline.

Roddick will now face fifth seed Tommy Haas after the German struggled past Hungary's Attila Savolt in three sets, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.

Spain's 13th seed Alex Corretja made smooth progress but 11th seed Hicham Arazi came unstuck.

Corretja notched up a comfortable 6-3 6-3 victory over Italian Andrea Gaudenzi.

But Arazi was blown away 6-1 6-1 by in-form Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela who will go on to face Tim Henman in the third round.

Corretja could next face Carlos Moya

Experienced Czech Jiri Novak came from a set down to beat qualifier Nicolas Coutelo of France 3-6 6-2 6-3.

After beating wild card Cedric Pioline in three sets in his first match, Novak had a less than perfect performance again.

He will play his third French opponent after seventh seed Sebastien Grosjean overcame Dominic Hrbaty 6-3, 7-6 (9/7).

Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson recorded only his second win at the Monte Carlo Masters by beating Austria's Stefan Koubek 6-4 6-1.

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Wednesday's second round results from the Monte Carlo Masters (seeds are in bold):

JI Chela (Arg) bt 11 H Arazi (Mor) 6-1 6-1
J Novak (Cze) bt N Coutelot (Fra) 3-6 6-2 6-3
13 A Corretja (Spa) bt A Gaudenzi (Ita) 6-3 6-3
A Martin (Spa) bt M Hipfl (Aut) 1-6 7-5 6-1
A Costa (Spa) bt M Llodra (Fra) 6-4 6-1
10 A Roddick (USA) bt B Ulihrach (Cze) 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (7-3)
8 T Johansson (Swe) bt S Koubek (Aut) 6-4 6-1
6 M Safin (Rus) bt R Gasquet (Fra) 6-4 6-1
10 A Roddick (USA) bt B Ulihrach (Cze) 7-6 (9/7) 7-6 (7/3)
2 J-C Ferrero (Spa) bt F Mantilla (Spa) 6-1 3-6 7-6 (7/3)
M Rios (Chi) bt 15 Younes El Aynaoui (Mor) 1-6 6-3 6-4
5 Tommy Haas (Ger) bt Attila Savolt (Hun) 7-5 3-6 6-3
David Nalbandian (Arg) bt 9 Roger Federer (Swi) 6-2 6-1
Carlos Moya (Spa) bt Michel Kratochvil (Swi) 6-2 4-6 6-4
7 Sebastien Grosjean (Fra) bt Dominik Hrbaty (Svk) 6-3 7-6 (9/7)
4 Tim Henman (Gbr) bt Nicolas Massu (Chi) 6-1 7-6 (7/3)
Andrei Pavel (Rom) bt 12 Guillermo Canas (Arg) 6-4 5-7 7-6 (7/3)

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