Rafael Nadal vs Victor Estrella Burgos: World number one breezes through Australian Open first round

Rafael Nadal glided through his first-round Australian Open match against Victor Estrella Burgos, winning in straight sets.

The world number one brushed off any doubts about his fitness after knee problems which plagued the end of last season.

In a routine encounter, Nadal beat his 37-year-old opponent 6-1 6-1 6-1 in an imperious display.

The Dominican had one moment of glory, winning a game in the second set which lasted more than 15 minutes, preventing Nadal from a bagel.

Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena crowd were treated to an almost perfect performance from the Spaniard as he won the opening set with ease.

There were no signs of problems with the world number one’s movement as his forehand and aggressive play allowed him to win the next two sets with ease.

It was a first encounter for the world number 81 against former champion Nadal, where each game won was celebrated like a mini victory.

Nadal’s next opponent is Argentinian Leonardo Mayer, who beat his first-round opponent Nicolas Jarry in straight sets.

Rio 2016: Top 10 Team GB gold medal winning moments

Four years after Team GB’s success at London 2012, the British athletes exceeded their previous medal haul by reaching 66 medals at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Saturday. Great Britain’s unprecedented performance in Brazil, surpassing China to second in the overall medal table, produced iconic …

MATCH REPORT: How Barnsley were promoted to the Championship

Barnsley will play in the Championship next season after beating Millwall in a confident display in the Sky Bet League 1 Play-off Final at Wembley Stadium.

Adam Hammill’s stunning goal was the highlight in a high-quality encounter, with 20-year-old Ashley Fletcher and Lloyd Isgrove also scoring for Barnsley.

Why Mo Farah should win SPOTY

An epic double of 5,000m and 10,000m gold medals, a generation of aspiring youngsters doing the “Mobot” and a potential knighthood for Mo Farah; is this a throwback to the memories of London 2012? Of course not. We are 3 years on …

Wawrinka wins in stunning style at Roland Garros

The crowd on court Phillippe Chatrier was treated to a final to remember on Sunday afternoon as Novak Djokovic was denied his first French Open title and a chance of completing a career Grand Slam by the Swiss number two Stanislas …

Does Vettel win prove that Ferrari can challenge the dominance of Mercedes this season?

It has taken 34 barren races, two years and the arrival of a 4-time world champion but finally Ferrari have returned atop the F1 podium. Amid the sweltering, humid heat in Sepang, Sebastian Vettel won the Malaysian Grand Prix, surprising and …

Are Brazil Looking Forward to the World Cup? Eric Cantona’s ‘Looking for Rio’ Enters the Debate at the Sidelines Football Festival

We’re on the eve of the opening game of the FIFA World Cup, the global spotlight is firmly on Brazil and what can we see? Enraged protestors, tear gas spreading from police canisters and the Brazilians showing the world their …

PRESS CONFERENCE: England Can Win the World Cup! Professor Stephen Hawking Tells Us the Winning Formula

Surely if the world-renowned theoretical physicist Professor Stephen Hawking tells you that England can win the World Cup, then it must be a possibility? On Wednesday morning, at an exclusive press conference at the Savoy Hotel in London, and after …

The return of F1 has a fresh look in Melbourne

So, the 2014 Formula One season is officially under way, and if the first qualifying session was the precursor for the action to come, fans should be ready for a vintage year of racing. Pre-season was dominated by talk of …

Wawrinka marks the return of the one-handed backhand

Watching Stanislas Wawrinka’s stunning performance at this year’s Australian Open has been one of the highlights of 2014 so far. If his victory in the final was arguably spoilt by the injury of Rafael Nadal, nobody could deny his brilliant win against four-time victor Novak Djokovic.

He has been a player in great form. Having seen Wawrinka play Nadal at the O2 finals in London at the end of last season, it was clear that he was a player brimming with self confidence. Nadal managed to beat him 7-6 7-6 on the day, but the Swiss clearly had the shots to really trouble the world number one. Just a couple of months on and Wawrinka has turned those missed chances into defining moments.