By Luis Miguel Pascual

PARIS – Spain’s Rafael Nadal staved off five match points in the second set before rallying to defeat countryman Nicolas Almagro 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 7-5 Wednesday in the second round of the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris.

In a match that topped the three-hour mark, an off-form Nadal benefited from Almagro’s errors on crucial points and also was given a boost when his opponent began battling leg cramps late in the third set.

Almagro will surely rue his missed chances, as he had five match points on his own serve at 6-3, 6-5 but was unable to capitalize. The 27th-ranked Spaniard dominated most of the match against an out-of-sorts Nadal, who struggled to find his rhythm and relied almost entirely on defensive scrambling to win points.

The world No. 2 was playing his first match at the indoor, hard-court event almost a month after losing to Russia’s Nikolay Davydenko in the final of the Shanghai ATP Masters.

The lack of match play was evident, as Nadal was at Almagro’s mercy from the baseline during much of the encounter.

Frequently firing serves in excess of 200 kilometers (124 miles) per hour, Almagro won the first set by breaking Nadal in the sixth game and comfortably holding his own serve. It was the first set Almagro had won against the world No. 2 in five matches.

He also looked to be the superior player in the second set, although Nadal showed his fighting spirit to stay alive despite playing well below par. Almagro was erratic on the big points and that proved costly in the 12th game.

Despite being down 40-0 and facing a total of five match points, Nadal fought back to force a second-set tiebreaker, which he won 7-2.

The deciding set then proved to be a see-saw affair, with Nadal breaking Almagro’s serve in the opening game before losing three games in a row to trail 3-1.

The world No. 2 fought back, however, and tied the set at 3-3 and then seemed to have the match in hand when Almagro began suffering from severe cramps in his right thigh.

But in yet another twist, Almagro, after receiving treatment from the trainer, proceeded to hold his serve and then break Nadal for a 5-3 lead and a chance to serve for the match once again.

But the cramps were too severe and Almagro was unable to hold serve and then proceeded to drop the three ensuing games to lose in agonizing fashion.

Almagro left to a standing ovation, the disappointment visible on his face, while Nadal was clearly displeased with his performance and is fully aware he will have to pick up his level drastically to have any chance at this late-season event.

“The normal thing in this match would have been to lose and I won and that’s very good. To win when you’re playing badly is an important skill that I’ve had throughout my career; it’s important not to lose that,” Nadal said.

“I’ve shown that if there’s something not to worry about it’s my attitude, which was good at all times, even playing quite a poor match. I’m not worried about my game, although (I am worried) about my game in this tournament, which is going to be difficult because when things start badly it’s always tough to get your rhythm.”

Next up for the world’s second-ranked player will be another countryman, Tommy Robredo, who eliminated Czech Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-4.

In another second-round match Wednesday involving a Spanish player, Alberto Montañes fell to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-1, 7-5.

Among the Latin American contingent, Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez defeated American John Isner 7-5, 7-6 (7-3), Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro edged Russia’s Marat Safin 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 and Argentine Juan Monaco fell to Serbian Novak Djokovic 6-3, 7-5. EFE