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Melbourne - Ruthless defending champion Rafael Nadal was in ominous form as he stormed into the Australian Open third round with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 win over the Slovak Republic's Lukas Lacko on Wednesday.
The world number two battled knee problems for much of 2009 and there were question marks over his ability to win here, especially after being beaten by Nikolay Davydenko in Doha in his first tournament of the year.
But there were no signs the Spaniard was limited as he moved freely on the way to a dominant win in one hour and 53 minutes.
It was the first time the pair had played each other and the 75th-ranked Lacko had no answer to the consistency of Nadal, who hit only two more winners, but made just 29 unforced errors, compared to his opponent's 53.
Having already beaten Australian Peter Luczak in the opening round, Nadal imposed himself on the match immediately, conceding just eight points in taking the first five games in quick time, and Lacko was never able to recover.
Hampered by tendinitis in both knees, Nadal relinquished his hold on the French Open last year, failing to make another Grand Slam final after the Australian Open.
He didn't defend his 2008 Wimbledon title because of injury.
Nadal will face either German 27th seed Philipp Kohlschreiber or American Wayne Odesnik in the third round.
Further into the tournament, he faces a potential quarter-final against either Scottish world number five Andy Murray or the 11th-seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils.
Results from day three of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Wednesday (x denotes seeding):
Men's singles
2nd round
Fernando Gonzalez (CHI x11) bt Marsel Ilhan (TUR) 6-3, 6-4, 7-5
Andy Roddick (USA x7) bt Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
Evgeny Korolev (KAZ) bt Tomas Berdych (CZE x21) 6-4, 6-4, 7-5
Rafael Nadal (ESP x2) bt Lukas Lacko (SVK) 6-2, 6-2, 6-2
Women's singles
1st round
Li Na (CHN x16) bt Marina Erakovic (NZL) 6-2, 6-0
Vera Zvonareva (RUS x9) bt Kristina Kucova (SVK) 6-2, 6-0
Victoria Azarenka (BLR x7) bt Stephanie Cohen-Aloro (FRA) 6-2, 6-0
Agnes Szavay (HUN) bt Stephanie Dubois (CAN) 6-3, 6-2
Iveta Benesova (CZE) bt Chang Kai-Chen (TPE) 7-5, 6-2
Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) bt Kimiko Date Krumm (JPN) 6-4, 6-2
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x4) bt Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) 6-4, 6-2
Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) bt Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ) 6-4, 6-4
Julia Goerges (GER) bt Tamira Paszek (AUT) 6-0, 3-6, 6-3
Tathiana Garbin (ITA) bt Elena Vesnina (RUS x28) 7-6 (7/5), 6-4
Shahar Peer (ISR x29) bt Lucie Hradecka (CZE) 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-1
Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) bt Jarmila Groth (AUS) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK x22) bt Viktoriya Kutuzova (UKR) 3-6, 6-1, 7-5
Maria Kirilenko (RUS) bt Yvonne Meusburger (AUT) 6-3, 6-1
Stefanie Voegele (SUI) bt Melinda Czink (HUN) 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 9-7
2nd round
Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x3) bt Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 6-2, 6-2
Elena Baltacha (GBR) bt Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR x30) 6-2, 7-5
Kim Clijsters (BEL x15) bt Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) 6-3 6-3
Marion Bartoli (FRA x11) bt Sandra Zahlavova (CZE) 6-4, 6-4
Zheng Jie (CHN) bt Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP x24) 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
Nadia Petrova (RUS x19) bt Kaia Kanepi (EST) 6-4, 6-4
Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) bt Flavia Pennetta (ITA x12) 7-6 (7-2), 6-1
Maria Kirilenko (RUS) bt Yvonne Meusburger (AUT) 6-3, 6-1
Angelique Kerber (GER) bt Aravane Rezai (FRA x26) 6-2, 6-3
Sara Errani (ITA) bt Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 6-2, 6-3
Alona Bondarenko (UKR x31) bt Polona Hercog (SLO) 6-4, 7-5
