Rafael Nadal could have made easier work of his third-round clash against Jarkko Nieminen in the Madrid Open, but managed to secure a 6-1 6-4 victory.

The Spaniard showed his intent by breaking his opponent's serve three times in the first set to grab a dominant lead in his homeland.

Nadal, who is known as the king of clay, showcased his strong shots on the court by grabbing another early break of serve in the second set.

After taking a 3-0 lead, Nadal looked on course to storm through the set, but Nieminen fought back to level on 3-3.

Games continued to go by the way of serve as Nieminen was able to respond strongly to Nadal's shots, but the Spaniard eventually saw out the set to grab the victory.