Record nine Spanish players advance to second round

By Douglas Robson, Special for USA TODAY WIMBLEDON, England — The Spanish tennis armada has often run aground on shoals of grass. No mas. In two days of play at Wimbledon, Spain has advanced a record nine men to the second round in London, eclipsing the eight they sent in 2004. Overall, Spain went 9-2 in the first round. By contrast, the USA — a supposed power on grass — advanced four men to the second round and went 4-8. Second-ranked Rafael Nadal, of course, has set the standard by reaching the last two Wimbledon finals. Nadal kicked off his Wimbledon title chase Tuesday with a 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7-0) win vs. Andreas Beck of Germany. Even before he arrived at the All-England Club, the four-time French Open winner became the first Spaniard since Andres Gimeno in 1972 to win a tournament on grass when he captured the Wimbledon... [read full story]