Nadal, just 16, pummelled his way past the equally highly-rated Ancic, who last year beat Roger Federer of Switzerland in the opening round, looking as if he were born to play on the green turf aside form a third-set lapse. The Spaniard is keen to make up for having to miss the French Open because of a shoulder injury which struck after he had shocked former Roland Garros champion Albert Costa on the clay at Monte Carlo.

Shortly after that he dumped another Paris champion in the shape of Carlos Moya at Hamburg.

Against Ancic, who hails from Goran Ivanisevic's home town of Split, Nadal wrapped up the first set by coming into the net and blazing a drive down the line past his stranded rival, who took Andre Agassi to five sets at the French Open last month.

An early break in the second saw the Spanish teen race out to 4-2 against his 19-year-old rival who then saved break points in the sixth game of third set before hauling himself back into the contest.

But Nadal found a second wind in the fourth and after mising two match points on his own serve he wrapped up his win after Ancic fired long.

He now plays Britain's Lee Childs, who shocked Russia's Nikolay Davydenko.

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