Spain's Rafael Nadal celebrates after winning his match against Germany's Philip Kohlschreiber at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne yesterday. Nadal won 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2. - Reuters

MELBOURNE (Reuters):

Rafael Nadal had to battle all the way for a bruising 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, victory over little-known German Philipp Kohlschreiber in the second round of the Australian Open yesterday.

His potential quarter-final opponent, Lleyton Hewitt, also had to fight hard for his 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, success over Canadian Frank Dancevic.

"I feel very good. He was a very tough player and was returning very aggressively," second seed Nadal told the crowd after receiving a standing ovation.

Taste of own medicine

The muscle-bound Nadal has often made tennis look like a contact sport and yesterday he was given a taste of his own medicine. Ranked 61st in the world, Kohlschreiber took little notice of his underdog status and matched Nadal blow for blow, producing bludgeoning forehands from every corner of the court.

As Nadal battled into the small hours of the morning, Kim Clijsters and Martina Hingis were safely tucked up in bed.

Hingis and Clijsters entered the two showcourts at Melbourne Park at almost the same time for their matches, both eager to get back to the locker room the quickest.

Fourth-seed Clijsters crossed the tape first, whipping Japan's Akiko Morigami 6-3, 6-0, in 59 minutes under a closed roof in the Rod Laver Arena.

Hingis, seeded sixth, lagged behind by nine minutes but was impressive in a 6-2, 6-2, win over hapless Russian teenager Alla Kudryavtseva.

Clijsters, aiming to add the Australian Open title to her 2005 Flushing Meadows success, said: "We almost won at around the same time and then we came into the locker room and she's like, 'Damn, you beat me, you were there first'."

After struggling to stay on her feet during a three-hour battle in the roasting conditions two days ago, Maria Sharapova's ruthless streak was back on show yesterday. She whizzed around court as if she was on roller skates and flattened Russian compatriot Anastassia Rodionova 6-0, 6-3, in 58 minutes.