World No.1 Rafael Nadal has continued his blistering start to the Australian Open, advancing to the round of 16 with victory over Bosnian 28th seed Damir Dzumhur.
The 2009 champion and 16-time grand slam winner took just 22 minutes on Friday night to claim the first set on the way to a 6-1 6-3 6-1 triumph on Margaret Court Arena.
He will face 24th-seeded Argentine Diego Schwartzman in the fourth round as he continues his quest for a second Australian Open crown.
After losing to Roger Federer last year in a classic final, Nadal had returned to Melbourne Park under an injury cloud after pulling out of the Brisbane International.
But any fears that the Spaniard's troublesome right knee would hamper his Open campaign have so far proven to be unfounded.
The 31-year-old is yet to drop a set and looks destined for a deep run which could include a tantalising semi-final clash with Nick Kyrgios, who beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Friday night in four sets.
"I didn't think about (expectations) when I arrived ... I needed hours of court, hours of practice, hours of playing sets with different players," Nadal said.
"That's what I did. I think I did a good preparation here. I felt myself playing well. That's all.
"Here I am. I am in the fourth round. That's because I am doing the right things. Let's see how far I can go."
Appearing unrestricted by his recent knee issues, Nadal covered the court well against Dzumhur and dominated the longer rallies.
Outsized at 175cm, Dzumhur struggled with Nadal's serve and fearsome forehand in the early going.
A one-way contest appeared to be on the cards but Dzumhur - the highest-ranked player to represent Bosnia - showed more fight than the scoreline suggested.
Desperate to claw his way back into the match, the 25-year-old had some success in dragging Nadal to the net.
But the top seed had too much firepower at his disposal, evening up the ledger after retiring hurt during their only previous meeting in the second round of the 2016 Miami Open.
"There is some tough moments during the match but I think, in general terms, I should be very happy," Nadal said.
"I went to the net a couple of times. Sometimes I did well; sometimes not so well. But that's the way to try to play better.
"I need to go inside the court, go to the net and try to finish the points there because, when I make that well, my game improves a lot."
Share
