Rafael Nadal resumed his quest for a second Australian Open title on Wednesday, overcoming Yannick Hanfmann to advance to the third round.
The sixth seed put on a spectacular display in his 6-2 6-3 6-4 victory over his German opponent, delighting the crowd with his brand of defense and extraordinary shot-making.
The Spaniard was quick to make his mark in the first set, breaking Hanfmann at 2-2 before winning four consecutive games to clinch the set. The second set saw the German put up a sterner effort to halt his Spanish opponent, which proved to be futile as Nadal obtained the crucial break to lead 5-3, before serving out the set.
Despite trailing by two sets, Hanfmann tried to establish a rhythm as he struggled to hold his first service game. Nonetheless, Nadal overcame his opponent's increased efforts, obtaining a break in the third game and never looking back. The 20-time Grand Slam champion closed out the match after two hours and 42 minutes, booking his spot in the third round.
The World No.5 was almost flawless on serve, winning 13 of 15 points behind his first serve and not facing a single break point. He faces the winner between Russian Karen Khachanov and France's Benjamin Bonzi.
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