World number one Rafael Nadal coasted into the Australian open fourth round on Saturday but his exploits were overshadowed by a classic five-setter between Fernando Gonzalez and Richard Gasquet. The Spanish powerhouse and top seed overwhelmed Germany's Tommy Haas 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 as he revs up his campaign for a first hardcourt Grand Slam.
Standing between him and the quarter-finals is Gonzalez, the 13th seed from Chile who staged a dogged fightback to beat France's Gasquet in a four-hour thriller 3-6, 3-6, 7-6 (12/10), 6-2, 12-10. Looking down and out after the first two sets, the Chilean turned the match around to come home strongly and set up the dubious honour of a fourth round clash with Nadal.
The Spaniard proved his credentials against Haas, playing some magnificent tennis, taking command at will with his powerful groundstrokes constantly stranding his opponent either at the baseline or the net. Meanwhile, Britain's Andy Murray continued to confound the doubters with another impressive performance.
The Scot, whose status as bookies' tip has ruffled a few feathers, floored Austria's Jurgen Melzer with typical guile and flair to set up a testing last-16 clash with dazzling Spaniard Fernando Verdasco. As competition hotted up, French players zeroed in on the title with Gael Monfils, Gilles Simon and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga all just four wins from victory. Murray, who can be the first British Slam winner in 73 years, produced some magical tennis as he finally hit his stride.
The fourth seed came up with every shot in the book in a bewitching display as the world 32 Melzer collapsed from a close first set to lose 7-5, 6-0, 6-3. The Briton now faces Verdasco for a place in the quarter-finals with the Spanish 14th seed in similarly dazzling form 6-4, 6-0, 6-0 against Radek Stepanek. France's Monfils stepped up a gear in a straight-sets dismissal of Spanish 17th seed Nicolas Almagro, earning a fourth-round meeting with countryman Simon.
Tsonga, last year's runner-up, unexpectedly dropped a set against unseeded Israeli Dudi Sela before setting up a clash with in-form US number two James Blake. Blake dropped his first set of the tournament against Igor Andreev before winning 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 as he bids to improve on last year's quarter-final appearance. Second seed Roger Federer and defending champion Novak Djokovic are in the other half of the draw and play their fourth round matches on Sunday.
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