ROME — Rafael Nadal lost for only the second time in his last 105 matches on clay, falling to Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-5, 6-1 Wednesday in the second round of the Rome Masters.
Nadal, who won the past three French Open titles, was bothered by a blister on his right foot and called for the trainer late in the second set.
The blister began bothering Nadal on Sunday, when he won the Barcelona Open.
"Today when I woke up, I said it was impossible to play," Nadal said. "I spoke to the doctor today and yesterday, and they put special protection on it and cream, but it was still tough."
Nadal's last loss on clay came against No. 1 Roger Federer in the Hamburg Masters in May 2007. Before that, Nadal had won a record 81 consecutive matches on the slow, red surface, a streak that began in April 2005.
Also, in Berlin, defending champion Ana Ivanovic overcame a slow start before defeating qualifier Akgul Amanmuradova 7-6 (0), 6-2 and top-ranked Justine Henin cruised past Chan Yung-jan 6-0, 6-2 at the German Open.