Rafael Nadal made a winning start to his Madrid Masters campaign but the world number one was again given a run for his money by Latvian Ernests Gulbis.
Nadal had found Gulbis a gritty opponent in their only previous meeting, the Spaniard eventually triumphing 5-7 6-2 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 en route to winning the Wimbledon title this summer, and it was a similar story in Madrid on Tuesday (local time).
The top seed started off well enough, winning the first set, but he dropped the second before finally taking charge to seal a 7-5 3-6 6-3 victory.
Twenty-year-old Gulbis, who beat Nicolas Kiefer in the opening round, sent down 15 aces compared to just two by Nadal and put up a good fight, albeit in a losing cause.
Nadal, who has lost in the quarter-finals in the last two years here after winning the Madrid Masters in 2005, will now face 15th seed Ricard Gasquet in the third round.
World number four Andy Murray progressed through to the third round but it was not such a good day for some of the other seeded players.
Murray was well on course to beat Simone Bolelli in their second-round encounter when the Italian lucky loser was forced to retire with what looked like a shoulder problem.
The Scot, playing in his first competitive match since last month's Davis Cup, was leading 6-0 2-1 at the time and he will now face Marin Cilic for a place in the quarter-finals.
Croatian Cilic secured his passage by dumping out 13th seed Fernando Verdasco 6-2 6-3.
The Spaniard was not the only seeded player unable to negotiate his first hurdle though - the top 16 players all got first-round byes - as American James Blake was also knocked out.
Blake, seeded 11, managed to take the first set in his clash with Gilles Simon, but it was the Frenchman who would end up triumphant with a 3-6 6-1 6-4 victory.
Fifteenth seed Gasquet was also put to the test before recovering from dropping the first set to beat American Mardy Fish 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 6-3.
Those were the only four second-round matches played during the day session on Tuesday, although there were seven first-round games.
In those, three Frenchman were sent tumbling as Paul Henri Mathieu, Michael Llodra and Florent Serra lost to Marcel Granollers, Robby Ginepri and Robin Soderling respectively.
Another Frenchman, Gael Monfils, had a better time of it though as he saw off Fabio Fognini 6-2 6-4.
Spaniard Carlos Moya was not so fortunate though, the former world number one losing 6-2 6-2 to Philip Kohlschreiber, while in the other matches Jarkko Nieminen beat Mikhail Youzhny and Victor Hanescu knocked out Dmitry Tursunov.
ATP Tennis, First Round of the Madrid Masters, Spain
First Round
Gael Monfils (France) def. Fabio Fognini (Italy) 6-2 6-4
Marcel Granollers-Pujol (Spain) def. Paul-Henri Mathieu (France) 6-4 6-4
Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) def. Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 7-5 3-6 6-2
Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) def. Carlos Moya (Spain) 6-2 6-2
Robby Ginepri (USA) def. Michael Llodra (France) 6-4 6-4
Robin Soderling (Sweden) def. Florent Serra (France) 6-3 6-4
Victor Hanescu (Romania) def. Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) 4-6 6-2 6-3
Second Round
1-Rafael Nadal (Spain) def. Emests Gulbis (Latvia) 7-5 3-6 6-3
4-Andy Murray (GBR) def. Simon Bolelli (Italy) 60 21 - ret. (shoulder)
Gilles Simon (France) def. James Blake (USA) 3-6 6-1 6-4
Richard Gasquet (France) def. Mardy Fish (USA) 6-7(7-3) 6-4 6-3
Marin Cilic (Croatia) def. Fernando Verdasco (Spain) 6-2 6-3