Spanish tennis star and World No 4 Rafael Nadal reached the third round of the Rome Masters after compatriot Nicolas Almagro pulled out due to injury here on Wednesday.
Almagro was trailing 0-3 to Nadal, a record seven-time champion, when he decided to withdraw due to a left knee injury.
The 30-year-old Nadal is set to play the next round against the winner of the duel between American Jack Sock and Czech Jiri Vesely.
This was the first appearance of the former world number one after winning his fifth Madrid Open crown last week, following his tenth Monte Carlo and Barcelona Open titles, also a record.
Nadal is hoping that his spark continues in the Rome Masters, the last big tournament before Roland Garros, where he has won a record nine times.
Earlier late on Tuesday, defending champion Andy Murray was eliminated after losing 6-2, 6-4 to Fabio Fognini in a second round match.
The Scotsman and current world No. 1 took the title here last year without losing a set, but has yet to return to top form after coming back from an elbow injury.
Meanwhile, Garbine Muguruza emerged as a favourite to win the Italian Open after beating Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko to reach the third round after world No 1 Angeliquer Kerber had earlier bowed out to Estonian qualifier Anett Kontaveit.
Spaniard Muguruza, the third seed, will need to sharpen up though after enduring a terrible start against 50th ranked teenager Ostapenko before the reigning French Open champion flicked the switch and won 2-6 6-2 6-1.
Fourth seed Dominika Cibulkova also fell to Russian Ekaterina Makarova 1-6 6-1 6-3 to leave the draw wide open.
