MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - WORLD number one Rafael Nadal breezed into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Monday with a 6-3 6-2 6-4 win over Chile's Fernando Gonzalez, the 2007 runner-up.

The Spaniard, who is bidding for his first grand slam title on a hardcourt, overcame a hiccup early in the second set when he dropped serve to seal victory in less than two hours.

Nadal is the only man through to the last eight at Melbourne Park this year to have won each of his first four matches in straight sets.