Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal cruised into the quarterfinals of the 2021 Australian Open on Monday.

The Spaniard triumphed in straight sets against Fabio Fognini to headline a mostly unsurprising set of results on the men's side of the bracket.

Meanwhile, Jessica Pegula's remarkable run at the tournament continued. The American's three-set triumph over Elina Svitolina provided the most notable result of the day for the women as she advanced to the final eight.

     

Australian Open Results

Men

(2) Rafael Nadal def. (16) Fabio Fognini; 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
(4) Daniil Medvedev def. Mackenzie McDonald; 6-4, 6-2, 6-3
(5) Stefanos Tsitsipas def. (9) Matteo Berrettini; walkover
(7) Andrey Rublev def. (24) Casper Ruud; 6-2, 7-6 (3), ret.

Women

(1) Ashleigh Barty def. Shelby Rogers; 6-3, 6-4
Jessica Pegula def. (5) Elina Svitolina; 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
(25) Karolina Muchova def. (18) Elise Mertens; 7-6 (5), 7-5
(22) Jennifer Brady def. (28) Donna Vekic; 6-1, 7-5

     

Only two of the four matches on the men's side were actually played to completion, and both were straight-set romps. Nadal faced little resistance in rolling over Fognini, while Daniil Medvedev ended Mackenzie McDonald's surprising run to the fourth round.

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev both advanced when their opponents were unable to physically compete. 

Nadal is seeking to become the first man in the Open era to win every Grand Slam at least twice, and he said he remains motivated to push forward:

"I play tennis. I like tennis. I like what I am doing. That's the main thing. Of course, I am very motivated to win Grand Slams and to play in the most important events of the year. No doubt about that… [But] I have never been obsessed [with] trying to be the best. I just do [it] my way. That’s worked for me.

"I think ambition is important, to have an ambition, but a healthy ambition. If you have too much ambition, then you can be frustrated when you are not able to achieve all the things that you wanted. I never approached the sport and my career that way."

Pegula defeated Svitolina 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the day's only three-set match in the women's bracket. The 26-year-old American had never advanced past the third round of a major before this current run, which has seen her defeat two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka and Svitolina, who both came in thinking they could win the year's first major.

No matter what happens, at least one American will be making the semifinals. Pegula will take on countrywoman Jennifer Brady in the quarterfinals. Brady earned a straight-sets win over Donna Vekic in her fourth-round matchup. 

"It's an opportunity for both of us," Pegula told reporters. "I'm just happy I'm here; she's been playing some good tennis, solidifying herself as a top player."

Serena Williams is set to play Tuesday night against Simona Halep, which could lead to two of the four semifinalists being American—Naomi Osaka grew up in the United States but relinquished her citizenship in 2019 to play for Japan in the Olympics.

Top-seeded Ashleigh Barty ended the chances of three American women being in the semis with her straight-sets win over Shelby Rogers. Barty will move on to play Karolina Muchova.

The last time Rafael Nadal and Fabio Fognini battled in a Grand Slam, the Italian scored an upset over the all-time great.

However, that would not be the case Monday as the Spaniard won in straight sets to advance to his 13th Australian Open quarterfinal. 

Sealed with an ace 💥@RafaelNadal advances to the #AusOpen quarterfinals for the 1️⃣3️⃣th time.#AO2021 pic.twitter.com/JoH9B67n8S

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 15, 2021

Nadal's win came on a day of competition that also featured a significant upset in the women's bracket.

         

Men's Scores

No. 4 Daniil Medvedev def. Mackenzie McDonald, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3.

No. 2 Rafael Nadal def. No. 16 Fabio Fognini, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

No. 7 Andrey Rublev def. No. 25 Casper Ruud, 6-2, 7-6(3), ret.

No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas def. No. 5 Matteo Berrettini, w/o.

     

On Monday, there were no signs of the back injury that had caused Nadal discomfort in his third-round win over Cameron Norrie.

The Spaniard was largely untroubled by his opponent on Monday, either, as he cruised to a 6-3, 6-4 6-2 win, which also marked his 43rd trip to a Grand Slam quarterfinal. 

The last time Rafael Nadal and Fabio Fognini was in the Round of 32 at the US Open 2015.
There, the Italian lost the first two sets 3-6, 4-6, but went on to win the match in five sets.
The first two sets today: 6-3, 6-4 Nadal. #AusOpen

— Nikolaus Fink (@NikolausFink) February 15, 2021

The win came on a day when competitive matches were not in the cards for the men's singles.

Daniil Medvedev needed just 89 minutes to defeat Mackenzie McDonald 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 and earn his passage to the last eight.

Meanwhile, Rublev was leading 6-2, 7-6(3) when his opponent, Casper Ruud, was forced to retire with an abdominal injury, while Stefanos Tsitsipas progressed to the quarterfinals after Matteo Berrettini withdrew due to a similar ailment.

Rublev's win was notable as it continued the Russian's run as the only player to make the quarterfinals of every tournament during the coronavirus pandemic, per Jose Morgado of Record.

Furthermore, the presence of Rublev, Medvedev and Aslan Karatsev in the next round marks the first time three Russians have competed in the quarterfinals of the same Grand Slam, per the official ATP Tour website.

Rublev and Medvedev will do battle in the next round, while Nadal and Tsitsipas go head-to-head as they look to cash their ticket to the semifinals.

Nadal remains one of the favorites to win the tournament, particularly with Novak Djokovic being hampered by an oblique muscle injury.

          

Women's Scores

Jessica Pegula def. No. 5 Elina Svitolina, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3

No. 22 Jennifer Brady def. No. 28 Donna Vekic, 6-1, 7-5

No. 25 Karolina Muchova def. No. 18 Elise Mertens, 7-6(5), 7-5

No. 1 Ashleigh Barty def. Shelby Rogers, 6-3, 6-4

    

Unseeded American Jessica Pegula continued her shock run at the Australian Open Monday, when she upset world No. 5 Elina Svitolina in three sets.

Jessie Pegula with the “Go Sabres” + “Go Bills” after her second round victory at the Australian Open is as Buffalo as it gets https://t.co/fPa1HJOwwi

— MereKat’s Cards (@MerekatsCards) February 11, 2021

The 26-year-old, who is the daughter of Buffalo Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula, stunned the Ukrainian with her 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win, which set up a quarterfinal match with fellow American, Jennifer Brady.

Monday's match against Donna Vekic marked the first time the 2020 U.S. Open semifinalist had surrendered more than three games in a set during the tournament, but the 25-year-old still won in straight sets, 6-1, 7-5.

Ashleigh Barty continued her steady march toward a home Grand Slam triumph with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Shelby Rogers.

The No. 1 seed has yet to drop a set in this year's tournament, and she faces No. 25 seed Karolina Muchova, who defeated Elise Mertens 7-6(5), 7-5 in the fourth round.

Barty's side of the draw looks favorable to her progress, as Simona Halep, Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka are on the other side of the bracket.

How would you describe that win from Ash Barty?

We're running out of superlatives!

Ash has flown into the quarter-finals with a straight sets win over Shelby Rogers.#AusOpen #Barty #AshBarty pic.twitter.com/oWIffUshYx

— ABC SPORT (@abcsport) February 15, 2021

However, the Australian cannot afford to take anything for granted given the form of Pegula and Brady in Melbourne this year.

Rafael Nadal is moving on to the quarterfinals of the 2021 Australian Open following a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Fabio Fognini on Monday in Melbourne.  

This is the fifth straight year Nadal has navigated his way to the quarters in the tournament, and he has failed to reach this stage only twice since 2006. He missed the 2013 Australian Open and lost in the first round in 2016.

Fognini upset Nadal in the third round of the 2015 U.S. Open. Referencing the victory at the time, he said you "have to risk" and "have to attack him when you have the chance" when facing off against the 20-time Grand Slam champion.

Early on, it looked like Nadal was on his way toward a straightforward victory. He dropped serve in the fifth game of the first set but built a 5-2 lead anyway thanks to a pair of service breaks.

Fognini referenced the need to gamble against Nadal, and he did just that in the opening frame. The Italian hit some masterful groundstrokes and compiled 14 winners, five more than his opponent. However, his approach also saw him pile up 11 unforced errors.

https://twitter.com/TennisPodcast/status/1361175351871864832

The roles reversed to start the second set. Fognini looked more assured, and his aggressive strategy allowed him to dictate more points.

With a service break in the sixth game, Fognini jumped ahead 4-2 and seemed to be firmly in the driver's set. Instead, he unraveled. Nadal took the next four games to claim the set. After falling behind 5-4, Fognini hit a ball into the stands out of frustration.

Fognini after breaking for 4-2

Gets broken for 4-3* despite coming back from a 0-40 down

Wastes a 0-40 lead on Nadal serve, who wins 5 consecutive points and holds

Gets broken for 4-5* from 30-0 up

Yikes

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) February 15, 2021

In that aforementioned U.S. Open match, Fognini lost the first two sets before mounting an incredible comeback. If he did it once, then maybe he could do it again.

Having lost his focus to close out the second set, the 33-year-old regained his composure a bit more as the third got underway. While serving at 1-1, though, he dumped a forehand from the baseline into the net to gift Nadal another service break.

Nadal wasn't at his best, but he only needed to extend points long enough for Fognini to make mistakes. The resistance Fognini showed earlier in the match was nowhere to be found as too many of his shots sailed long or failed to make it into Nadal's half.

In his newest quest for a second Australian Open title, Nadal has yet to drop a set. That bodes well given how much the COVID-19 pandemic hampered training for everybody taking part in the tournament. The 34-year-old hasn't had to expend a wealth of energy, so he should be more than ready when he faces a tougher test than the one he encountered Monday.

           

What's Next?

Nadal will meet either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Matteo Berrettini in the round of eight. He's 6-1 against Tsitsipas and beat Berrettini at the U.S. Open in their only head-to-head meeting to date.

           

Stats are courtesy of the Australian Open's official site

Rafael Nadal and Ashleigh Barty were among the championship contenders to secure victories during Saturday's third-round play in the 2021 Australian Open at Melbourne Park.

Nadal defeated Cameron Norrie in straight sets as part of another quiet day in the bottom half of the men's draw. Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev and Matteo Berrettini also advanced, leaving five top-10 seeds in that part of the bracket.

Barty made quick work of No. 29 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova as the Australian tries to establish herself as the player to beat in her home major. American Jessica Pegula also continued her underdog run by dismantling Kristina Mladenovic to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career.

                  

Saturday's Australian Open Results

Men's Draw

(2) Rafael Nadal d. Cameron Norrie; 7-5, 6-2, 7-5

(4) Daniil Medvedev d. (28) Filip Krajinovic; 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 6-0

(5) Stefanos Tsitsipas d. Mikael Ymer; 6-4, 6-1, 6-1

(7) Andrey Rublev d. Feliciano Lopez; 7-5, 6-2, 6-3

(9) Matteo Berrettini d. (19) Karen Khachanov; 7-6 (1), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5)

(16) Fabio Fognini d. (21) Alex de Minaur; 6-4, 6-3, 6-4

(24) Casper Ruud d. Radu Albot; 6-1, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4

Mackenzie McDonald d. Lloyd Harris; 7-6 (7), 6-1, 6-4

                

Women's Draw

(1) Ashleigh Barty d. Ekaterina Alexandrova; 6-2, 6-4

(5) Elina Svitolina d. (26) Yulia Putintseva; 6-4, 6-0

(25) Karolina Muchova d. (6) Karolina Pliskova; 7-5, 7-5

(18) Elise Mertens d. (11) Belinda Bencic; 6-2, 6-1

Shelby Rogers d. (21) Anett Kontaveit; 6-4, 6-3

(22) Jennifer Brady d. Kaja Juvan; 6-1, 6-3

(28) Donna Vekic d. Kaia Kanepi; 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-4

Jessica Pegula d. Kristina Mladenovic; 6-2, 6-1

               

Nadal entered the season's first major with uncertain expectations while tending to a back injury, but he breezed through the first three rounds without dropping a set.

The 34-year-old Spanish superstar, who won the Australian Open in 2009 and reached the final on four other occasions, won 40 percent of his return points and generated five breaks against Norrie. It helped overcome some mistakes as he recorded more unforced errors than winners (35-33).

"Of course, playing against the best players in the world, not taking your chances, you're going to suffer a bit," Nadal said. "Very happy, good feelings and I need to keep improving. I'm in the second week and that's the main thing for me right now."

His form will need to improve as the field narrows and the matchups become more difficult starting against Fognini in Round 4.

Barty is also through to the round of 16 without a blemish on any of her scorelines, highlighted by knocking out Danka Kovinic without losing a single game in the opening round.

She didn't produce her most efficient performance against Alexandrova, tallying 19 unforced errors and three double faults while converting just five of her 17 break chances. Her ability to make consistent inroads on the Russian's serve allowed her to still move through rather routinely.

The Aussie also won despite not having the crowd support she enjoyed in her first two matches as the tournament barred spectators amid rising concerns about a COVID-19 variant.

"It changes the sound of the court a little bit," Barty told reporters about the empty stadium. "Something I've never experienced before ever in my life, so it's very strange."

Pegula upset 12th-seeded Victoria Azarenka in the first round, and she's been downright dominant since, dropping just four games combined in wins over Samantha Stosur and Mladenovic.

The daughter of Terry and Kim Pegula, the owners of the NFL's Buffalo Bills and NHL's Buffalo Sabres, won 56 percent of her return points and converted six of eight break opportunities Saturday.

Her toughest test of the tournament so far comes in the fourth round when she takes on Svitolina. A win there and it'll be time to start dreaming big for the unseeded 26-year-old upstart.

The 2021 Australian Open rolls on Sunday with Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Naomi Osaka, Dominic Thiem and Simona Halep among the stars on the schedule.  

Rafael Nadal once again leaned on his strong return game Saturday to help him move past Cameron Norrie with a straight-sets victory (7-5, 6-2, 7-5) to advance to the fourth round of the 2021 Australian Open at Melbourne Park.

Nadal generated 12 break-point opportunities and converted five, while his British counterpart mustered just one against the tournament's No. 2 seed. Norrie still managed to match his best performance in a Grand Slam event by reaching the third round.

The 2009 Australian Open champion won 40 percent of his return points in the win, setting up a matchup with No. 16 seed Fabio Fognini in the round of 16.

It otherwise wasn't the most refined performance from Nadal, who recorded more unforced errors (35) than winners (33), but he played the key points in the first and third sets well enough to avoid any drama.

The 34-year-old Spaniard has reached the fourth round without dropping a set after previous convincing wins over Laslo Dere and Michael Mmoh.

"Of course, playing against the best players in the world, not taking your chances, you're going to suffer a bit," Nadal told reporters after beating Norrie. "Very happy, good feelings, and I need to keep improving. I'm in the second week, and that's the main thing for me right now."

The 20-time major champion has been dealing with a back injury, so making it through the first week without any extended matches was important and should help him be fresh for the tougher matchups ahead.

That starts with a clash against Fognini, who's coming off a strong outing to eliminate 21st-seeded Alex de Minaur in straight sets (6-4, 6-3, 6-4).

Nadal holds a 12-4 advantage in their previous head-to-head meetings, but they've split the last two matchups and haven't faced off since 2019.

"We've played a lot of times, and he's beaten me a couple of times. He's come here after an injury, so he will be hungry to do well," Nadal said. "That's a very impressive victory against De Minaur, in straight sets. So he will come to our match with plenty of confidence, and of course you never expect an easy match at this stage. I need to be ready."

If he beats Fognini, he's guaranteed to face a top-10 player in the quarterfinals in either No. 5 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or No. 9 seed Matteo Berrettini.

With upsets limited so far and seeded players littered throughout the draw, Nadal must find top form quickly if he's going to capture his second Australian Open championship.

Intrigue surrounded the third round of the Australian Open as world No. 2 Rafael Nadal nursed a back injury entering his match with Great Britain's Cameron Norrie.

Those watching would be hard-pressed to recognize said injury as Nadal cruised to a 7-5, 6-2, 7-5 victory, hardly appearing slowed or hampered by his back as he knocked off Norrie and set up a fourth-round showdown with Fabio Fognini.

The Spaniard headlined a jam-packed day of competition that saw women's No. 1 Ashleigh Barty earn a win and American Jennifer Brady continue her dominance in Melbourne.

     

Men's Results

No. 4 Daniil Medvedev def. No. 28 Filip Krajinovic, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 6-0

No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas def. Mikael Yem, 6-4, 6-1, 6-1

No. 7 Andrey Rublev def. Feliciano Lopez, 7-5, 6-2, 6-3

No. 9 Matteo Berrettini def. No. 19 Karen Khachanov 7-6(1), 7-6(5), 7-6(5)

No. 2 Rafael Nadal def. Cameron Norrie, 7-5, 6-2, 7-5

No. 16 Fabio Fognini def. No. 21 Alex De Minaur 6-4, 6-3, 6-4

     

Nadal's date with Fognini in the round of 16 marks their first Grand Slam meeting since Fognini upset Rafa at the 2015 U.S. Open. Nadal may have the edge in head-to-head victories (12-4), but that upset will almost certainly fuel him as he seeks to add to his all-time-great resume.

Rafael Nadal defeats Cameron Norrie 7-5, 6-2, 7-5. Despite back issues, he has yet to drop a set at #AO2021 & will face Fabio Fognini in the 4th round. Nadal leads 12-4 but last time they played in a Slam, Fognini pulled the upset: 5-setter in R3 of the 2015 US Open pic.twitter.com/YBQnUiS2MU

— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) February 13, 2021

With Novak Djokovic nursing an oblique injury, Nadal has to be considered the favorite to win the tournament. Exorcising the loss to Fognini would set him up to do just that, though the field does not get any easier.

Russian Daniil Medvedev cruised early over Filip Krajinovic, but a comeback from the Serb in the third and fourth sets had the world's No. 4 player reeling.

With panic setting in, and his body exhausted from chasing down balls as Krajinovic slowly and methodically clawed back into the match, Medvedev called for the trainer while 4-1 down in the fourth set.

For the first time in his career (7th attempt), Daniil Medvedev wins a 5th set!

Beats Filip Krajinovic 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 6-0 to reach the last 16 of the #AusOpen.

Still undefeated in 2021 & 17 consecutive wins.

McDonald next.

[getty] pic.twitter.com/w16E8eAHiK

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) February 13, 2021

The Russian's coach then left the stadium, and Medvedev proceeded to win eight-out-of-10 matches, putting Krajinovic away in the fifth set with a 6-0 win to advance to the next round of the competition. 

The coach's exit was to help Medvedev focus, as the player revealed post-match:

"[Coach Gilles Cervara] said just before leaving that he's sure I'm going to win the match, but he's going to leave to let me be more calm. Sometimes maybe I will disagree, but this time for sure it was a good thing to do. Today it helped, and definitely we're going to talk about it a little bit, but there is not a big deal."

Medvedev survived the competition Friday and will head to the fourth round, where he will play 25-year-old American Mackenzie McDonald.

One of the favorites to win the whole tournament, Medvedev should be able to dispatch McDonald, but time will tell if the grueling five-set match Friday night will adversely affect the Russian.

      

Women's Scores

No. 25 Karolina Muchova def. No. 6 Karolina Pliskova, 7-5, 7-5

No. 5 Elina Svitolina def. No. 26 Yulia Putintseva, 6-4, 6-0

Jessica Pegula def. Kristina Mladenovic, 6-2, 6-1

No. 28 Donna Vekic def. Kaia Kanepi, 5-7, 7-6(2), 6-4

No. 22 Jennifer Brady def. Kaja Juvan, 6-1, 6-3

No. 18 Elise Mertens def. No. 11 Belinda Bencic, 6-2, 6-1

Shelby Rogers def. No. 21 Anett Kontaveit, 6-4, 6-3

No. 1 Ashleigh Barty def. No. 21 Ekaterina Alexandrova, 6-2, 6-4

     

American Brady has not allowed any opponent to get closer than 6-3 in any set against her in this Australian Open. Dominating the competition, she has picked up where she left off in September's U.S. Open and has established herself as a favorite to leave Melbourne with a Grand Slam title.

Brady fell to Naomi Osaka at the U.S. Open but took the now world's No. 3 to three sets. Do not be surprised to see the Pennsylvanian right back in the finals as she uses this tournament as her own personal redemption tour.

Jennifer Brady has dropped 11 games en route to the Round of 16.

"I think I'm coming out there, I have a mission, and I'm on the mission. I'm playing pretty solid tennis, not really giving away too many free points. I think that's key.” #AusOpen

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) February 13, 2021

She defeated Kaja Juvan in straight sets Friday and will oppose Croatian Donna Vekic in the fourth round. 

A streaky Vekic overcame unforced errors that threatened her advancement to the next round of competition, holding on to defeat Kaia Kanepi, who again failed to advance past the third round.

The top-ranked Barty rolled to victory while fifth-ranked Elina Svitolina rolled past Yulia Putintseva, blanking her in the second set. A pair of unranked Americans await the highly ranked pair as Barty faces the rolling Shelby Rogers while Svitolina battles a tenacious Jessica Pegula.

Hello, Round 4 🤗

Jessica Pegula reaches a Grand Slam career best with a dominating performance. pic.twitter.com/oPruFXP9CN

— USTA (@usta) February 13, 2021

Advancing to the fourth round of the Open marks the furthest Pegula, daughter of Buffalo Bills owner Terry, has made it in a Grand Slam tournament. 

Pegula upset two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka in the first round of this year's tournament.

Rafael Nadal continued his strong start to the 2021 Australian Open with a straight-sets victory over American qualifier Michael Mmoh during Thursday's second-round play at Melbourne Park.

Fellow top-10 seeds Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev and Matteo Berrettini also advanced in a mostly straightforward day in the bottom half of the men's draw.

The same can't be said in the women's draw, where No. 4 seed and defending champion Sofia Kenin was eliminated by Kaia Kanepi. The second-round exit marked Kenin's earliest at a major since the 2019 Wimbledon Championships.

Women's top seed Ashleigh Barty moved on to the third round with a win over Daria Gavrilova.

             

Notable Results

Men's Bracket

(2) Rafael Nadal d. Michael Mmoh; 6-1, 6-4, 6-2

(4) Daniil Medvedev d. Roberto Carballes Baena; 6-2, 7-5, 6-1

(5) Stefanos Tsitsipas d. Thanasi Kokkinakis; 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-4

(7) Andrey Rublev d. Thiago Monteiro; 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (8)

(9) Matteo Berrettini d. Tomas Machac; 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3

(16) Fabio Fognini d. Salvatore Caruso; 4-6, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (12)

(19) Karen Khachanov d. Ricardas Berankis; 6-2, 6-4, 6-4

(21) Alex de Minaur d. Pablo Cuevas; 6-3, 6-3, 7-5

Mackenzie McDonald d. (22) Borna Coric; 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4

(24) Casper Ruud d. Tommy Paul; 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, 7-5

(28) Filip Krajinovic d. Pablo Andujar; 6-2, 5-7, 6-1, 6-4

Feliciano Lopez d. (31) Lorenzo Sonego; 5-7, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4

                

Women's Bracket

(1) Ashleigh Barty d. Daria Gavrilova; 6-1, 7-6 (7)

Kaia Kanepi d. (4) Sofia Kenin; 6-3, 6-2

(5) Elina Svitolina d. Coco Gauff; 6-4, 6-3

(6) Karolina Pliskova d. Danielle Collins; 7-5, 6-2

(11) Belinda Bencic d. Svetlana Kuznetsova; 7-5, 2-6, 6-4

(18) Elise Mertens d. Lin Zhu; 7-6 (8), 6-1

(21) Anett Kontaveit d. Heather Watson; 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-2

(22) Jennifer Brady d. Madison Brengle; 6-1, 6-2

(25) Karolína Muchova d. Mona Barthel; 6-4, 6-1

(26) Yulia Putintseva d. Alison Van Uytvanck; 6-4, 1-6, 6-2

(28) Donna Vekic d. Nadia Podoroska; 6-2, 6-2

(29) Ekaterina Alexandrova d. Barbora Krejcikova; 6-3, 7-6 (4)

              

Nadal put together a highly efficient performance against Mmoh that bolstered his outlook as he seeks his second Australian Open title.

The tournament's 2009 champion recorded seven aces, won 84 percent of the points on his first serve, converted five break-point opportunities and was nearly perfect at the net (15 of 16). He finished with 40 winners, 24 more than his outmatched American counterpart.

Although he coasted to victory Thursday, the 34-year-old Spanish superstar said his back remains a concern as he moves forward in the season's first major.

"No, not under control, honestly. No, I am keep doing the things that I can. If you see my motion on the serve is different than what I would like," Nadal told reporters. "But I am trying to find solutions every day. I just keep fighting to find a solution."

Meanwhile, Kenin said she struggled with the pressure of trying to defend her first Grand Slam title in her loss to Kanepi.

"I was obviously way too nervous," Kenin said. "I felt like I obviously wasn't there. My head wasn't there. I'm not going to take any credit away from her. She played really well. She came up with some good shots. She obviously had a good plan against me. I had chances. I just couldn't take it. I obviously know why because, like, the nerves big-time got to me."

Break points were the difference in the match, as is often the case. Both players generated seven, but Kanepi converted three and Kenin couldn't capitalize on any of hers.

It was part of a lackluster overall outing from the No. 4 seed, who tallied 22 unforced errors compared to just 10 winners.

Barty almost found herself on upset alert as well before escaping with a win in her second-set tiebreaker.

The top seed compiled more errors (34) than winners (20) and allowed Gavrilova to secure four breaks of service. Luckily for the homestanding Aussie, she converted all six of her break chances to help her advance.

Being challenged a little bit in the second round should help her in the tournament goes on after she rolled past Danka Kovinic without dropping a single game in the opening round.

The 2021 Australian Open continues Friday with Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Simona Halep, Dominic Thiem and Naomi Osaka among the high-profile players in action.

Rafael Nadal, one of the nicest guys in tennis, was on the receiving end of a middle finger from a woman in the crowd during his second-round win over Michael Mmoh at the 2021 Australian Open on Thursday.   

#AusOpen

🤯 Así ha sido el 'show' de una espectadora que ha retrasado el saque de Rafa Nadal, con 'peineta' incluida

📲 @Eurosport pic.twitter.com/AXdniSV7TM

— Diario SPORT (@sport) February 11, 2021

I think my favourite part is the reaction of the woman with the Spanish flag pic.twitter.com/z6jKhv42RC

— Matt Roberts (@MattRobertsTTP) February 11, 2021

Nadal was asked during his post-match interview whether he knew the person who flipped him the bird.

"No, and honestly I don't want to know," the 20-time Grand Slam champion said with a laugh.

He later told reporters:

"Yeah, yeah, [the finger] was to me I think. I don't know. Maybe she [drunk] too much gin or tequila. I don't know. But honestly was [a] strange situation, but, yeah, funny at the same time. ...

"For me was funny. Honestly, somebody doing the finger to me with, I don't know the reason, but was—yeah. I was surprised, yes, but at the same time was thinking, poor girl. Because probably she was drunk or something like this. I don't know."

It's unclear what led the woman the make the gesture toward Nadal.

That was the most noteworthy moment of an otherwise routine day at the office for the 34-year-old Spaniard, who's seeking his second Australian Open title.

He dominated the match from start to finish with massive advantages over Mmoh in winners (40-16) and break points converted (5-0). He also won 84 percent of the points on his first serve and 94 percent of points when he came to net in a clinical performance.

Mmoh, 23, has never advanced beyond the second round of a major.

Nadal advances to face Cameron Norrie in the third round on Saturday.

Sofia Kenin's title defense at the Australian Open lasted two rounds.

The fourth-seeded American did not look her best in a straight-sets loss to Kaia Kanepi, which was the first major upset in Melbourne.

Kenin's defeat Thursday was the only surprise to happen in the women's bracket. Eleven seeded players, including top-ranked Ashleigh Barty, made it through to the third round. Barty was one of eight seeded women to win in straight sets.

Rafael Nadal faced little difficulty advancing on the men's side, as he cruised to a three-set triumph over Michael Mmoh. Nadal's straight-sets victory was an outlier in performances by seeded men, as a handful were pushed into the fourth and fifth sets.

Stefanos Tsitsipas survived the biggest upset bid on Thursday, as he knocked out Thanasi Kokkinakis in a five-set marathon.

             

Top Men's Results

No. 2 Rafael Nadal def. Michael Mmoh, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2

No. 4 Daniil Medvedev def. Roberto Carballes Baena, 6-2, 7-5, 6-1

No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas def. Thanasi Kokkinakis, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-1, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4

No. 7 Andrey Rublev def. Thiago Monteiro, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (10-8)

No. 9 Matteo Berretini def. Tomas Machac, 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3

No. 16 Fabio Fognini def. Salvatore Caruso, 4-6, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (14-12)

No. 19 Karen Khachanov def. Ricardas Berankis, 6-2, 6-4, 6-4

No. 21 Alex de Minaur def. Pablo Cuevas, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5

Mackenzie McDonald def. No. 22 Borna Coric, 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4

No. 24 Casper Ruud def. Tommy Paul, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, 7-5

No. 28 Filip Krajinovic def. Pablo Andujar, 6-2, 5-7, 6-1, 6-4

Feliciano Lopez def. No. 31 Lorenzo Sonego, 5-7, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4

            

Nadal and Daniil Medvedev asserted their dominance at the end of Thursday's play.

Nadal made quick work of Mmoh, starting with a 6-1 victory in the first set. The Spanish southpaw won 60 percent of receiving points over those seven games.

Mmoh played better tennis in the second and third sets, but he never challenged the No. 2 seed, who has won six straight sets to open his title quest.

Medvedev delivered 13 aces throughout his straight-sets win over Roberto Carballes Baena. The fourth-seeded Russian took 86 percent of the points on his first serve and won seven of his eight break-point opportunities.

Tsitsipas faced the toughest test of the top men's players in action on Thursday, as he needed five sets to eliminate Kokkinakis.

The fifth-seeded Greek struggled on Kokkinakis' serve, as he won five of 22 break points and 34 percent of his 207 receiving points. Tsitsipas admitted after the match that he needed to do better in that area of his game, per ATPTour.com:

"Even though the court was slow, I had difficulties returning. ... [There were] lots of missed opportunities, break points that I had. He just managed it really well. He's capable of a lot of things. He played phenomenal tennis. I didn't have the best start in the match. [It] took me a while to get used to the rhythm, the pace. ... My fighting spirit was there."

Borna Coric and Lorenzo Sonego were the only seeded men to fall Thursday. Coric's defeat came at the hands of American Mackenzie McDonald, who is one of two Americans left in the men's singles draw.

                   

Top Women's Results

No. 1 Ashleigh Barty def. Daria Gavrilova, 6-1, 7-6 (9-7)

Kaia Kanepi def. No. 4 Sofia Kenin, 6-3, 6-2

No. 5 Evina Svitolina def. Coco Gauff, 6-4, 6-3

No. 6 Karolina Pliskova def. Danielle Collins, 7-5, 6-2

No. 11 Belinda Bencic def. Svetlana Kuznetsova, 7-5, 2-6, 6-4

No. 18 Elise Mertens def. Zhu Lin, 7-6 (10-8), 6-1

No. 21 Anett Kontaveit def. Heather Watson, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-2

No. 22 Jennifer Brady def. Madison Brengle, 6-1, 6-2

No. 25 Karolina Muchova def. Mona Barthel, 6-4, 6-1

No. 26 Yulia Putintseva def. Alison Van Uytvanck, 6-4, 1-6, 6-2

No. 28 Donna Vekic def. Nadia Podoroska, 6-2, 6-2

No. 29 Ekaterina Alexandrova def. Barbora Krejcikova, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)

               

Kenin was upset by an in-form Kanepi.

The Estonian dominated throughout the two sets in which Kenin made plenty of uncharacteristic mistakes with her shots down each baseline.

Kanepi produced 22 winners and 17 unforced errors compared to 10 winners and 22 unforced errors from the reigning champion. Kenin had seven break-point opportunities, but she failed to convert on any of them through two sets. After the defeat, Kenin acknowledged her game was off, per ESPN.

"I obviously felt like I'm not there 100 percent—physically, mentally, my game," she said. "Everything just feels real off, obviously. It's not good. I mean, I J just—I know I couldn't really handle the pressure."

Kenin's defeat opened up an opportunity for fellow American Jennifer Brady to make another deep run at a hard-court major. Brady advanced to the U.S. Open semifinals and is the highest remaining seed in that quarter in the top half of the draw.

The No. 22 seed lost just seven games in her first two matches, and she is one of five American women to advance to the third round.

Navigating through the other parts of the bracket will be difficult for some seeded players, as seven of the eight ranked women in the top two quarters advanced to the third round.

Barty faced some trouble in the second set against Daria Gavrilova, but she battled through a tiebreak to remain perfect through four sets in Melbourne.

Elina Svitolina and Karolina Pliskova were among the other top seeds who won in two sets Thursday. Barty, Svitolina and Pliskova all face seeded opponents in the next round.

                

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from AusOpen.com.

Rafael Nadal cruised into the third round of the 2021 Australian Open on Thursday with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 win over Michael Mmoh at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.

Nadal, who is the No. 2 seed in the tournament, was never threatened by the American qualifier, as he fired off 40 winners compared to Mmoh's 16.

With the victory, Rafa has now reached the third round in all but one of the 16 Australian Opens he has competed in during his illustrious career.

Nadal won 84 percent of his first serves compared to just 59 percent for Mmoh. He also broke Mmoh five times on 11 chances, while Mmoh never had so much as one break-point opportunity in the match.

The Spaniard was rolling right out of the gates, taking the first set 6-1, and his sharp forehand was a big reason for his success:

Forehand on 🔥@RafaelNadal claims the opening set against Michael Mmoh, 6-1.#AO2021 | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/fKCNn3HDAk

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 11, 2021

Nadal was dealing with a nagging back injury entering the tournament, but it had no ill effects in the first round against Laslo Dere and didn't seem to bother him at all Thursday, either.

The second-round match was so one-sided that much of the excitement came courtesy of something that happened in the stands.

As seen in the following tweet courtesy of ESPN UK, a woman shouted obscenities at Nadal and gave him the middle finger before getting ejected from the stadium:

Rafa Nadal's match was stopped for a few minutes after a drunken fan wouldn’t stop swearing at him.

Rafa saw the funny side, but she was eventually thrown out 😅 pic.twitter.com/hWKTeWLGk0

— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) February 11, 2021

After Nadal took the second set 6-4, Mmoh's back was against the wall, and he desperately needed to avoid conceding another break to Rafa in the third set.

Nadal was able to secure the break on a phenomenal sequence, however, and the The Tennis Podcast described the scene:

https://twitter.com/TennisPodcast/status/1359840528557293570

That break was the catalyst Nadal needed to close things out, as he won the match in less than two hours and punched his ticket to the next round.

Nadal is now undefeated in his career in Australian Open second-round matches, and he finds himself in solid position to advance past the third round as well.

In his next match, Nadal will face Great Britain's Cameron Norrie, who will be playing a third-round match at a Grand Slam for just the second time in his career.

Norrie has never made it past the third round of a Grand Slam tournament, making the 25-year-old an ideal matchup for Nadal, who is in search of his second career Aussie Open title.