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Melbourne - World No 1 Rafael Nadal blitzed past Hugo Dellien on Tuesday to launch his campaign to equal Roger Federer's record of 20 Grand Slam titles, dropping just five games in the one-sided annihilation.
The sparkling Spaniard was in imperious form to sweep past a Bolivian making his Australian Open debut 6-2, 6-3, 6-0 on Rod Laver Arena in barely two hours.
The Mallorcan, the first man to be world number one in three different decades, is not only seeking to match great rival Federer's Slam mark, but become the first man in the Open era to win all four Majors at least twice.
It is a big ask for the 33-year-old, who has only won the title once before at Melbourne Park, against a tearful Federer in 2009, with four runner-up finishes to his name.
"For me it is a positive start. What you want is a first round win and in three sets is even better," said Nadal, who clubbed 38 winners and made only 21 unforced errors.
"This court always brings me lots of positive energy."
Nadal, in a pink sleeveless shirt and matching shoes, was in total charge against the world number 73, storming to a 5-0 lead in the opening set before Dellien held serve, then against the odds broke, before the Spaniard served out the set.
Underdog Dellien was broken in the sixth game of the second set but hit back again to break Nadal for the second time in the match before the top seed again rallied to restore control with some sizzling forehands down the line.
A flagging Dellien gave it his best shot but Nadal quickly raced 3-0 up in the third set as his physicality and power shone through and there was no way back.
"He (Dellien) has a tough first five games but he had chances to win games," said Nadal, who lost in last year's final to Novak Djokovic.
"He's a fighter, he's a great guy."
Nadal next plays either Argentine Federico Delbonis or Portugal's Joao Sousa.
Collated results on day two of the Australian Open Grand Slam at Melbourne Park on Tuesday:
Men's singles
1st round
Rafael Nadal (ESP x1) bt Hugo Dellien (BOL) 6-2, 6-3, 6-0
Federico Del Bonis (ARG) bt Joo Sousa (POR) 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3)
Peter Gojowczyk (GER) bt Christopher Eubanks (USA) 7-6 (7/1), 6-3, 4-6, 6-0
Pablo Carreo-Busta (ESP x27) bt Jozef Kovalk (SVK) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/2)
Nick Kyrgios (AUS x23) bt Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) 6-2, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/1)
Gilles Simon (FRA) bt Pablo Cuevas (URU) 6-1, 6-3, 6-3
Mikael Ymer (SWE) bt Yasutaka Uchiyama (JPN) 6-4, 6-1, 6-2
Karen Khachanov (RUS x16) bt Mario Vilella (ESP) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3
Gael Monfils (FRA x10) bt Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE) 6-1, 6-4, 6-2
Ivo Karlovic (CRO) bt Vasek Pospisil (CAN) 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 7-5
Aljaz Bedene (SLO) bt James Duckworth (AUS) 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-4
Ernests Gulbis (LAT) bt Flix Auger-Aliassime (CAN x20) 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4
Taylor Fritz (USA x29) bt Tallon Griekspoor (NED) 6-3, 6-3, 6-3
Kevin Anderson (RSA) bt Ilya Ivashka (BLR) 6-4, 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10/8)
Alex Bolt (AUS) bt Albert Ramos (ESP) 7-6 (7/1), 1-6, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1, 6-4
Dominic Thiem (AUT x5) bt Adrian Mannarino (FRA) 6-3, 7-5, 6-2
Daniil Medvedev (RUS x4) bt Frances Tiafoe (USA) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
Pedro Martnez (ESP) bt Dominik Koepfer (GER) 6-3, 6-4, 7-5
Jaume Munar (ESP) bt Hugo Gaston (FRA) 7-5, 5-7, 6-0, 6-3
Alexei Popyrin (AUS) bt Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x28) 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-1, 0-0 abandon
John Isner (USA x19) bt Thiago Monteiro (BRA) 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/5)
Alejandro Tabilo (CHI) bt Daniel Galn (COL) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-4
Andreas Seppi (ITA) bt Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3)
Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI x15) bt Damir Dzumhur (BIH) 7-5, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-4
David Goffin (BEL x11) bt Jrmy Chardy (FRA) 6-4, 6-3, 6-1
Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) bt Cameron Norrie (GBR) 7-5, 3-6, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
Yuichi Sugita (JPN) bt Elliot Benchetrit (FRA) 6-2, 6-0, 6-3
Andrey Rublev (RUS x17) bt Christopher O'Connell (AUS) 6-3, 0-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5)
Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO x26) bt Soonwoo Kwon (KOR) 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) 7-5, 6-2, 6-1
Egor Gerasimov (BLR) bt Casper Ruud (NOR) 6-3, 7-6 (8/6), 1-6, 4-6, 7-6 (10/6)
Alexander Zverev (GER x7) bt Marco Cecchinato (ITA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3
Tennys Sandgren (USA) bt Marco Trungelliti (ARG) 6-1, 6-4, 7-5
Jordan Thompson (AUS) bt Alexander Bublik (KAZ) 6-4, 6-3, 6-2
Fabio Fognini (ITA x12) bt Reilly Opelka (USA) 3-6, 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (10/5)
Jannik Sinner (ITA) bt Max Purcell (AUS) 7-6 (7/2), 6-2, 6-4
Tommy Paul (USA) bt Leonardo Mayer (ARG) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
Hubert Hurkacz (POL x31) bt Dennis Novak (AUT) 6-7 (4/7), 1-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4
John Millman (AUS) bt Ugo Humbert (FRA) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 1-6, 7-5
Filip Krajinovic (SRB) bt Quentin Halys (FRA) 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/1), 3-6, 4-6, 7-5
Christian Garn (CHI) bt Stefano Travaglia (ITA) 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
Milos Raonic (CAN x32) bt Lorenzo Giustino (ITA) 6-2, 6-1, 6-3
Benot Paire (FRA x21) bt Cedrik-Marcel Stebe (GER) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 6-0
Marin Cilic (CRO) bt Corentin Moutet (FRA) 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
Michael Mmoh (USA) bt Pablo Andjar (ESP) 6-1, 6-4, 6-4
Roberto Bautista (ESP x9) bt Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 6-2, 6-2, 7-5
Diego Schwartzman (ARG x14) bt Lloyd Harris (RSA) 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
Alejandro Davidovich (ESP) bt Norbert Gombos (SVK) 4-6, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
Marc Polmans (AUS) bt Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-7 (8/10), 6-4
Dusan Lajovic (SRB x24) bt Kyle Edmund (GBR) 7-6 (9/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/4)
Tatsuma Ito (JPN) bt Prajnesh Gunneswaran (IND) 6-4, 6-2, 7-5
Women's singles
1st round
Polona Hercog (SLO) bt Rebecca Peterson (SWE) 6-3, 6-3
Greet Minnen (BEL) bt Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-5
Elena Rybakina (KAZ x29) bt Bernarda Pera (USA) 6-3, 6-2
Alison Riske (USA x18) bt Wang Yafan (CHN) 7-6 (7/5), 2-6, 6-3
Madison Keys (USA x10) bt Darya Kasatkina (RUS) 6-3, 6-1
Arantxa Rus (NED) bt Magda Linette (POL) 1-6, 6-3, 6-4
Nao Hibino (JPN) bt Shuai Peng (CHN) 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-3
Maria Sakkari (GRE x22) bt Margarita Gasparyan (RUS) 6-2, 6-2
Ons Jabeur (TUN) bt Johanna Konta (GBR x12) 6-4, 6-2
Caroline Garcia (FRA) bt Madison Brengle (USA) 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-2
Dayana Yastremska (UKR x23) bt Kaja Juvan (SLO) 6-1, 6-1
Wang Qiang (CHN x27) bt Pauline Parmentier (FRA) 7-6 (7/2), 6-3
Fiona Ferro (FRA) bt Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) 6-2, 6-1
Belinda Bencic (SUI x6) bt Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK) 6-3, 7-5
Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) bt Liudmila Samsonova (RUS) 6-1, 6-4
Donna Vekic (CRO x19) bt Maria Sharapova (RUS) 6-3, 6-4
Alize Cornet (FRA) bt Monica Niculescu (ROU) 5-7, 6-1, 6-0
Catherine Bellis (USA) bt Tatjana Maria (GER) 6-0, 6-2
Karolina Muchova (CZE x20) bt Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (10/7)
Danielle Collins (USA x26) bt Vitalia Diatchenko (RUS) 6-1, 3-6, 6-4
Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) bt Hsieh Su-wei (TPE) 6-1, 6-3
Harriet Dart (GBR) bt Misaki Doi (JPN) 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10/6)
Simona Halep (ROU x4) bt Jennifer Brady (USA) 7-6 (7/5), 6-1
Elina Svitolina (UKR x5) bt Katie Boulter (GBR) 6-4, 7-5
Lauren Davis (USA) bt Leylah Fernandez (CAN) 6-4, 6-2
Garbine Muguruza (ESP) bt Shelby Rogers (USA) 0-6, 6-1, 6-0
Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) bt Anastasija Sevastova (LAT x31) 6-1, 6-1
Zarina Diyas (KAZ) bt Amanda Anisimova (USA x21) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
Anna Blinkova (RUS) bt Jasmine Paolini (ITA) 7-5, 6-4
Arina Rodionova (AUS) bt Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-0
Kiki Bertens (NED x9) bt Irina Begu (ROU) 6-1, 6-4
Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) bt Marketa Vondrousova (CZE x15) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
Camila Giorgi (ITA) bt Antonia Lottner (GER) 6-3, 6-3
Priscilla Hon (AUS) bt Kateryna Kozlova (UKR) 6-3, 6-4
Angelique Kerber (GER x17) bt Elisabetta Cocciaretto (ITA) 6-2, 6-2
Laura Siegemund (GER) bt Coco Vandeweghe (USA) 6-1, 6-4
Karolina Pliskova (CZE x2) bt Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 6-1, 7-5
