Melbourne, January 25: World number one and top seed Rafael Nadal steamrolled fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta 6-1 6-2 6-4 to reach the Australian Open last 16.
Nadal, who is bidding to equal Roger Federer's men's record grand slam haul of 20 titles, barely raised a sweat in a dominant and brutal display in Melbourne on Saturday.
The 2009 Australian Open champion, Nadal hit 42 winners and just seven unforced errors without facing a break point in one hour, 38 minutes to earn a fourth-round meeting against either Nick Kyrgios or Karen Khachanov.
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Nadal, who reached the last 16 of a slam for the 47th time in his career, stepped onto Rod Laver Arena to a thunderous roar and he dazzled the appreciative Melbourne crowd from the outset.
It was another masterclass as Nadal racked up 15 winners to take a commanding two-sets-to-love lead – a position he has never lost from on 47 previous occasions at the Australian Open.
Like the opening two sets, Nadal enjoyed great success on Carreno Busta's serve and a break in the fifth game put him ahead and extended the Spanish superstar's winning streak against his countrymen to 18 matches.
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN Rafael Nadal [1] bt Pablo Carreno Busta [27] 6-1 6-2 6-4
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS Nadal – 42/7 Carreno Busta – 21/16
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS Nadal – 9/0 Carreno Busta – 6/1
BREAK POINTS WON Nadal – 5/10 Carreno Busta – 0/0
FIRST SERVE PERCENTAGE Nadal – 63 Carreno Busta – 65
PERCENTAGE OF POINTS WON ON FIRST/SECOND SERVE Nadal – 87/78 Carreno Busta – 71/32
TOTAL POINTS Nadal – 79 Carreno Busta – 46
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