MELBOURNE — Tomas Berdych quelled the threat of Bernard Tomic at the Australian Open, Rafael Nadal also won in straight sets and Andy Murray blitzed Grigor Dimitrov on Sunday.
Berdych, the seventh seed, was tested by Tomic in their two prior meetings — both at Wimbledon — Berdych was a comfortable victor 6-2, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 on Margaret Court Arena.
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The big-hitting Berdych will make his fifth consecutive quarterfinal appearance at Melbourne Park. He will try to match his career-best semifinal appearance from 2014.
Berdych also extended an impressive record in the early rounds of the year's first major — he has not lost a set in four rounds in the past three years.
Nadal, meanwhile, was sluggish before seeing off 14th seed Kevin Anderson 7-5, 6-1, 6-4.
Nadal was close to conceding the first set when he was serving at 5-5, 0-40, but he saved five break points in the game to turn the momentum in his favor.
The service hold would be the first of seven consecutive games as he wrenched control from his South African opponent.
Nadal did not concede another break-point chance after the 11th game of the first set, and he converted four of six opportunities on Anderson's serve to secure progression in two hours, six minutes.
Three-time finalist and British sixth seed Murray survived his first real test at the Australian Open, overcoming Dimitrov 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 7-5.
Dimitrov was leading 5-2 in the fourth and serving for the set before Murray — a finalist at the Australian Open in 2010, 2011 and 2013 — blitzed his faltering and inexperienced opponent on Rod Laver Arena.
Next up for Murray is Australia's Nick Kyrgios, who beat Italy's Andreas Seppi in a dramatic five-setter, winning 5-7, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), 8-6 after three hours and 34 minutes.