Intro:

Rafael Nadal beat Kevin Anderson in straight sets to reach the quarter finals of the Australian Open.

Script:

Third seed Rafael Nadal faced 14th seed Kevin Anderson in the fourth round of the Australian Open on Sunday and he was forced to fend off five break points in the 11th game but eventually held serve and went on to secure his first break of the match to snatch the first set 7-5.

After starting so strongly, Anderson's initial promise faded fast.

Nadal cruised into a commanding 5-0 second set lead - eventually taking it 6-1.

While the third set was significantly closer, much of the damage had already been done.

With the third seed fully hitting his stride, and combining power and precision with ease in his ruthless groundstrokes, it was always likely to be a long way back for Anderson.

Nadal duly took the win in three sets, converting his second match point with a blistering forehand to set up a quarter final meeting with seventh seed, Tomas Berdych.