RAFAEL NADAL defeated Yannick Hanfmann in straight sets (6-2, 6-3, 6-4) to win his second-round Australian Open matchup yesterday.

The 35-year-old Spaniard, who is the No. 6 seed in the men’s draw, will continue the quest for his 21st Grand Slam singles title and second Australian Open win.

Hanfmann put up a great fight in the first set, earning the match’s first break point opportunity with the score tied at two games apiece.

However, Nadal won the next three points to hold serve before breaking Hanfmann himself for a 4-2 edge. The German earned another break point opportunity with Nadal serving up 4-2, but once again, the 2009 Australian Open champion won three straight points. Nadal then broke Hanfmann once more to win the first set 6-2.

The left-hander’s magic was on full display the entire match, as evidenced by this first-set forehand. Hanfmann was on the ropes for much of the second set, with Nadal earning break point opportunities each time the qualifier served.

Hanfmann gamely held off Nadal’s chances four times over three games, but the world’s No. 5 men’s player finally won a break to go up 5-3 before holding serve for the second-set win.

In the third set, Hanfmann held off three Nadal break opportunities to win the first game, and he held off the first two chances in the second game. However, Nadal broke Hanfmann in his third try and held serve from there for the straight-set win.

On Tuesday, five-time Australian Open runner-up Andy Murray finally won another match at the season-opening Grand Slam tournament after five years.

Murray beat 21st-seeded Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-4 to reach the second round at Melbourne Park.

He lost a five-setter in the first round in 2019 — a match he, and everyone else, thought might have been his last in Australia — after missing the 2018 edition with an injury. He missed the 2020 tournament with a pelvic injury and last year’s event because of COVID-19.

(SD-Agencies)