David Ferrer has moved into the third round of the Madrid Open with a narrow win over fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos.

Both players exchanged breaks during a cagey opening set before the pair were forced to settle it in a tie-break.

Ramos moved into a 5-2 lead in the tie-break, but he squandered four set points as fifth seed Ferrer fought back to claim it 8-6.

The Spanish duo both struggled to hold serve in an erratic second set, though it was Ramos who came through this time to level the contest 7-5.

With both men giving little away in the decider, Ferrer secured a vital break before closing out the match 6-3 with nearly three hours played.