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Ruthless Nadal powers to Round 1 win at Open

Melbourne - Top seed Rafael Nadal ruthlessly brushed aside Victor Estrella Burgos to power into the second round of the Australian Open on Monday.

The world No 1, a beaten finalist to Roger Federer in Melbourne last year, clinically took apart the 81st-ranked Dominican to forge a 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 win in 94 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.

He next plays Leonardo Mayer of Argentina.

"I'm very happy to be back, it's a very important beginning for me. It's good news for me," he said.

"I want to enjoy every moment I'm here on this court."

The Spaniard left nothing to chance with eight service breaks and 28 winners in a complete first-up performance, dispelling fears over any knee trouble.

Nadal, 31, wore no strapping on his knee, appeared to move freely and combined his trademark power game from the back of the court.

It took his Australian Open record to 52-11 as he chases his second Melbourne Park title after beating Federer in the 2009 final.

Nadal, who is gunning for a 17th major title, was hampered by a knee injury at the tail-end of the 2017 season.

It forced him to skip the lead-up Brisbane International this month, and he only had a one-match workout at the exhibition Kooyong Classic in Melbourne ahead of the Open.

Nadal needs to reach the quarter-finals to be certain of retaining his world number one ranking, with Federer breathing down his neck.

Nadal only conceded three games in the match and had few problems with Estrella Burgos, who has a modest 6-15 record at Grand Slams.

Results from the Australian Open on Monday at the end of play:

Men's singles

1st round

Malek Jaziri (TUN) bt Salvatore Caruso (ITA) 6-7 (2/7), 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 

Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) bt Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 6-4

Pablo Carreno-Busta (ESP x10) bt Jason Kubler (AUS) 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1

Pablo Cuevas (URU x31) bt Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) 7-6 (9/7), 6-3, 7-5

Gilles Muller (LUX x23) bt Federico Del Bonis (ARG) 7-5, 6-4, 6-3

Ryan Harrison (USA) bt Dudi Sela (ISR) 6-3, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2

Kyle Edmund (GBR) bt Kevin Anderson (RSA x11) 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4

Denis Istomin (UZB) bt Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) 6-2, 6-1, 5-7, 7-6 (7/3)

Matthew Ebden (AUS) bt John Isner (USA x16) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3

Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x3) bt Dennis Novak (AUT) 6-3, 6-2, 6-1

Andrey Rublev (RUS x30) bt David Ferrer (ESP) 7-5, 6-7 (6/8), 6-2, 6-7 (6/8), 6-2

Viktor Troicki (SRB) bt Alex Bolt (AUS) 6-7 (2/7), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4

Denis Shapovalov (CAN) bt Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5)

Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER x27) 6-3, 2-6, 6-0, 1-6, 6-2

Andreas Seppi (ITA) bt Corentin Moutet (FRA) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2

Leonardo Mayer (ARG) bt Nicolás Jarry (CHI) 6-2, 7-6 (7/1), 6-3

John Millman (AUS) bt Borna Coric (CRO) 7-5, 6-4, 6-1

Damir Dzumhur (BIH x28) bt Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 6-4

Diego Schwartzman (ARG x24) bt Dusan Lajovic (SRB) 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 11-9

Mackenzie McDonald (USA) bt Elias Ymer (SWE) 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1

Gilles Simon (FRA) bt Marius Copil (ROM) 7-5, 6-4, 6-3

Marin Cilic (CRO x6) bt Vasek Pospisil (CAN) 6-2, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7/5)

Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) bt Yuki Bhambri (IND) 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 6-3

Nick Kyrgios (AUS x17) bt Rogerio Dutra Silva (BRA) 6-1, 6-2, 6-4

Rafael Nadal (ESP x1) bt Víctor Estrella (DOM) 6-1, 6-1, 6-1

Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) bt Gerald Melzer (AUT) 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3

Ivo Karlovic (CRO) bt Laslo Djere (SRB) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 7-6 (7/2)

Yuichi Sugita (JPN) bt Jack Sock (USA x8) 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), 5-7, 6-3

Ruben Bemelmans (BEL) bt Lucas Pouille (FRA x18) 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (8/6)

Casper Ruud (NOR) bt Quentin Halys (FRA) 6-3, 3-6, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 11-9

Joao Sousa (POR) bt Dustin Brown (GER) 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x15) bt Kevin King (USA) 6-4, 6-4, 6-1

Women's singles

1st round

Alize Cornet (FRA) bt Wang Xinyu (CHN) 6-4, 6-2

Jelena Ostapenko (LAT x7) bt Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 6-1, 6-4

Duan Yingying (CHN) bt Mariana Duque-Marino (COL) 6-0, 6-1

Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK x19) bt Taylor Townsend (USA) 6-0, 7-5

Julia Goerges (GER x12) bt Sofia Kenin (USA) 6-4, 6-4

Petra Martic (CRO) bt Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) 7-6 (7/5), 6-3

Zhang Shuai (CHN) bt Sloane Stephens (USA x13) 2-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2

Mona Barthel (GER) bt Monica Niculescu (ROM) 6-4, 7-5

Belinda Bencic (SUI) bt Venus Williams (USA x5) 6-3, 7-5

Irina Begu (ROM) bt Ekaterina Makarova (RUS x31) 3-6, 6-4, 8-6

Anett Kontaveit (EST x32) bt Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) 6-4, 7-5

Kaia Kanepi (EST) bt Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x24) 6-2, 6-2

Timea Babos (HUN) bt Coco Vandeweghe (USA x10) 7-6 (7/4), 6-2

Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) bt Alison Riske (USA) 2-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-3

Kiki Bertens (NED x30) bt Catherine Bellis (USA) 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-2

Denisa Allertova (CZE) bt Pauline Parmentier (FRA) 6-3, 6-0

Magda Linette (POL) bt Jennifer Brady (USA) 2-6, 6-4, 6-3

Olivia Rogowska (AUS) bt Jaimee Fourlis (AUS) 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2

Katerina Siniakova (CZE) bt Maria Sakkari (GRE) 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4

Carla Suarez (ESP) bt Magdalena Frech (POL) 7-5, 6-3

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS x15) bt Kateryna Kozlova (UKR) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3

Luksika Kumkhum (THA) bt Johanna Larsson (SWE) 6-3, 7-5

Elise Mertens (BEL) bt Viktoria Kuzmova (SVK) 6-2, 6-1

Darya Kasatkina (RUS x22) bt Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK) 6-0, 6-3

Monica Puig (PUR) bt Samantha Stosur (AUS) 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4

Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) bt Viktorija Golubic (SUI) 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-2

Nicole Gibbs (USA) bt Viktoriya Tomova (BUL) 6-1, 6-1

Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x2) bt Mihaela Buzarnescu (ROM) 6-2, 6-3

Jana Fett (CRO) bt Misa Eguchi (JPN) 6-3, 6-2

Elina Svitolina (UKR x4) bt Ivana Jorovic (SRB) 6-3, 6-2

Marta Kostyuk (UKR) bt Peng Shuai (CHN x25) 6-2, 6-2

Daria Gavrilova (AUS x23) bt Irina Falconi (USA) 6-1, 6-1

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