Berdych tested by Davydenko

Barcelona - World No 6 Tomas Berdych was given a tough workout by Nikolay Davydenko at the Barcelona Open on Tuesday before seeing off the former No 3 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to secure a berth in the last 16.

Czech Berdych, who had a bye into the second round and is seeded three on the clay at the Real Club de Tenis, served poorly against the 31-year-old Russian, who had won nine of their 11 previous matches.

After having his service broken twice in losing the first set, Berdych managed to turn things around to edge the second before lifting his game in the decider and sealing victory with a ninth ace.

The 27-year-old will play the winner of the match between Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov, the 14th seed, and 2004 champion Tommy Robredo of Spain for a place in the quarter-finals.

Latvian qualifier Ernests Gulbis provided the surprise of the day when he thumped former world No 7 and 12th seed Fernando Verdasco of Spain, who won the event in 2010, 6-3 6-4.

World No 5 Rafael Nadal begins his bid for an eighth Barcelona title in nine years with a second-round clash against unseeded Argentine Carlos Berlocq on Wednesday.

Recently back from seven months out with a knee injury, Nadal is seeded second and beat top-seeded Spanish compatriot David Ferrer, the world No 4, in the final in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012.

Ferrer plays his second-round match against Russian qualifier Dmitry Tursunov on Wednesday.

Results on the second day of the Barcelona Open on Tuesday (x denotes seeding):

First round

Blaz Kavcic (SLO) bt Alejandro Falla (COL) 6-3, 6-0
Bernard Tomic (AUS) bt Kenny De Schepper (FRA) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
Eduardo Roger-Vasselin (FRA) bt Jan Hajek (CZE) 6-2, 6-7 (1/7), 6-2
Carlos Berlocq (ARG) bt Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP) 7-5, 6-4
Blaz Kavcic (SLO) bt Alejandro Falla (COL) 6-3, 6-0
Tommy Robredo (ESP) bt Marc Lopez (ESP) 2-6, 6-2, 6-2
Albert Ramos (ESP) bt Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) 6-4, 7-6 (7/2)

Second round

Jeremy Chardy (FRA x10) bt Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) 6-2, 6-4
Tomas Berdych (CZE x3) bt Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
Ernests Gulbis (LAT) bt Fernando Verdasco (ESP x12) 6-3, 6-4
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER x8) bt Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/2)
Kei Nishikori (JPN x6) bt Guillermo Olaso (ESP) 6-1, 6-3
Thomaz Bellucci (BRA x16) bt Pablo Carreno-Busta (ESP) 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 7-5