Bautista-Agut fells Del Potro as Carla Suárez narrowly avoids slip-up

Rafa Nadal made light work of 17-year-old wildcard Thanasi Kokkinakis at the Australian Open Thursday, the number-one seed defeating the Adelaide-born world number 570 in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2. A much sterner test awaits the 2009 champion in round three, where Gaël Monfils will be on the other side of the net.

Roberto Bautista-Agut pulled off the shock of the tournament so far in defeating the fifth seed, Juan Martín del Potro, in five sets. After arguably the biggest win of his career, the 62-ranked Spaniard faces 27th seed Benoît Paire in round three.

Feliciano López also progressed in straight sets but Fernando Verdasco’s challenge was ended by Teymuraz Gabashvili in a five-setter.

In the women’s draw, 16th seed Carla Suárez slugged her way to round three past Kazakhstan’s Galina Voskoboeva, the world number 77. Suárez, whose deepest run in a Grand Slam came last year at the US Open, where she became the first Spanish female quarterfinalist in 15 years, required three grueling sets to defeat Voskoboeva, edging the decider 8-6. Next up for the Canarian is the 20th seed Dominika Cibulkova, with the winner facing a probable fourth-round clash against Maria Sharapova.

Garbiñe Muguruza’s run of form continued as she defeated Anna Karolína Schmiedlová to reach the third round of a Slam for the first time. The Hobart champion, whose ranking shot up to 38 after that title win, will play Caroline Wozniacki for a place in the fourth round.