Rafael Nadal was beaten in the second round of the Shanghai Masters by fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez this afternoon a day after it was revealed that he was suffering from appendicitis.
It is another disappointing result for the world number two in China after he fell to qualifier Martin Klizan at the quarter-final stage of the China Open last week.
Nadal struggled to test Lopez on his serve in the first set as the serve-and-volleyer didn't once present a break point.
He managed to break Nadal in the sixth game before comfortably serving out the opener 6-3.
Nadal saved a break point at the start of the second set and then managed to break Lopez for the first time in the next game.
At 4-1 ahead, Nadal had three break points to open up a double-break advantage but couldn't take them and then Lopez broke back when Nadal was serving for the set at 5-3.
Soon the pair would be in a tie-break and it was Lopez who came through 8-6 after saving a Nadal set point at 5-6 behind.
Awaiting Lopez in the last 16 is big-serving American John Isner.
Pascal Lemesre
