World number one Nadal was in sublime form against Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Damir Džumhur, who beat another Spaniard in Fernando Verdasco yesterday, and dropped just one game in the entire match, which he won 6-1, 6-0 on the clay.

In the women's event number one seed Halep of Romania also had an easy victory, beating Japan’s Naomi Osaka, who won the 2018 Indian Wells Masters title in March, by a replica 6-1, 6-0 scoreline.

Novak Djokovic was another favourite to make it through his last 32 clash in the men's draw.

He did not have quite as comfortable a ride as Nadal, but the 12-time Grand Slam winner from Serbia looked untroubled in his 6-4, 6-2 win against Georgia's Nikoloz Basilashvili, who has never gone beyond the third round of a Grand Slam.

Elsewhere in the women's event world number 618 Maria Sakkari of Greece caused a major shock as she came from behind to beat sixth seed and former world number one Karolína Plíšková of the Czech Republic 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

The most competitive match of the day was between Spain's Albert Ramos and John Isner of the United States in the men's draw.

A tiebreak was required in all three sets that the duo played, but it was 30-year-old Ramos who eventually came out on top, coming from behind to beat his eighth-seeded opponent 6-7, 7-6, 7-6.

The event continues tomorrow.

It is a key warm-up to the French Open, the clay court Grand Slam which begins on May 27.

It is an Association of Tennis Professionals Masters 1000 tournament and a Premier 5 event on the Women's Tennis Association tour.