Top seed Rafael Nadal stormed into the fourth round of the Australian Open with a bludgeoning 6-1 6-3 6-1 defeat of Bosnia’s Damir Dzumhur on Friday.
Melbourne’s heatwave had relented by the time the Nadal walked on Margaret Court Arena, but the Spaniard was on fire as he battered the 28th seed into submission.
The sole blemish was a dropped service game early in the second set but it only briefly slowed his charge.
Nadal finished the job in one hour 50 minutes to reach the last 16 here for the 11th time where he will face Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman.