Rafael Nadal bounced back from his cramp-affected second-round match with a comfortable 6-1 6-0 7-5 win over Dudi Sela in the third round of the Australian Open this morning.
The third seed looked weary and needed treatment from a doctor to reach this stage, but he appeared to be back to his best as he raced to a two-set lead.
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The Spaniard immediately broke his opponent's serve, claiming the first four games of the match before allowing his Sela to get off the mark.
After taking less than 30 minutes to clinch the first set, Nadal continued to overpower the world number 106, dictating the match as he claimed the second 6-0, leaving him just a set short of a place in the fourth round after less than an hour on court.
Sela came out fighting in the third, forcing Nadal to save a couple of break points in the opening game, but the former champion dug deep to hold serve.
The Israeli continued to show resistance though, holding his first two service games before saving a string of break points to keep the set level at 3-3.
Nadal came under increasing pressure as the set progressed, with Sela bringing up three break points at 5-5, but the Spaniard escaped with his serve intact.
Sela tried to take the third set to a tie-break, but a backhand into the net gave Nadal a match point, and he wrapped it up with a forehand to the corner, setting up a meeting with South Africa's Kevin Anderson in the next round.
Sian Cowper
