Resurgent Rafa mangles Mayer

Rafa Nadal showed there is still plenty of life in his battered body as he cast aside the disappointments of last year to reach the second round of the Australian Open with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Florian Mayer on Tuesday.

Easily avoiding the embarrassment of back-to-back first-round exits at Melbourne Park, the 30-year-old Spaniard needed a single break in each set to proceed after a little over two hours in the brutal afternoon sun.

Nadal sealed the victory with a 39th winner, the 25th off his awesome forehand, and raised his arms to accept the salute of the crowd on the court where he won the title in 2009.