ARTICLES:

• Nadal Cruises Past Anderson (via ATP World Tour)

World No. 3 Rafael Nadal cruised into the Australian Open quarter-finals for the eighth time on Sunday as he defeated Kevin Anderson 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 at Melbourne Park.

• Rafa raising his level (via Australian Open)

“But today is a day to be happy the way that I improved my level of everything, talking about tennis, all the things I have to do on court. I was closer today. Even if I played the first two sets the other day well, today I was much closer what I have to do to try to have success.” Oh, yes, Rafa is looking very happy indeed. And the happier he looks, the more miserable his rivals for the title become.

• Nadal Sees Progress After Win Over Anderson (via ATP World Tour)

“It’s not mathematics. You cannot say a number,” he said. “Winning against the No. 15 of the world in straight sets, it would be very arrogant if I say I’m not a very high percentage. I’m happy with the way I played today. It is the first day that I felt that I was playing at the level that I want to play.”

• Australian Open 2015: Mark Philippoussis asks where Rafael Nadal sits among sport’s legends (via Herald Sun)

“Tennis needs Nadal. He is a true professional on and off the court and a complete gentleman. You can’t help but root for the guy because his heart and passion on the court is so beautiful to watch. He would have to be one of the best competitors of all-time to have ever walked onto a tennis court. … That’s the key difference between the Spaniard and many of his rivals. He is a machine out on the court, the ultimate fighter who leaves everything out there. The problem for his opponents is that he is already in their heads even before a ball is hit. You know when you look over the net and see Rafa you’re going to have to be playing at your best, scrapping for everything because he plays every single point like it is his last point.”

Ben Solomon/Tennis Australia

REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

• Rafael Nadal through to quarterfinals (via ESPN)

Nadal had to laugh in his last game as he tried to ignore a distraction when his water bottles — famously always precisely placed near the side of the court either for routine or superstition — tumbled over and a ball boy repositioned them. “Seriously it’s not bothering me,” he said.

• Australian Open 2015 Day 7 (via Wimbledon)
• Australian Open Fashion Hits And Misses (via SI.com)

HIT: Rafael Nadal’s shorts – Nadal called them his “party pants.”

• Week in words at the Aussie Open (via ESPN)

“Very few players can do that after four hours something of match, 5-all, love-30. So just will say thanks to him because he’s a great example what he did today.” — No. 3 seed Rafael Nadal praising Tim Smyczek’s intervention to play a let after an unruly fan, shouting out, disrupted the Spanish star’s service action and caused him to hit a fault.

PHOTOS:

• Rafael Nadal beats Anderson in 4th round at Australian Open
• Rafa rolls into quarters (via Australian Open)
• Rafael Nadal practices ahead of R4 match
• Rafael Nadal into Australian Open fourth round
• Sexiest men at the Australian Open (via Yahoo7 Sport)

VIDEOS:

• An Interview With Rafael Nadal – AO 2015, Round 4
• Don’t mess with Rafael Nadal’s bottles – AO 2015
• Rafael Nadal & Kevin Anderson: Then and now – AO 2015
• Rafael Nadal’s message of congratulations to the Gasol brothers
• Interview: Rafael Nadal Dislikes Sleep and Math
• Rafa’s mid-match giggles (Nadal vs. Sela, AO 2015)
• An Interview With Rafael Nadal – AO 2015, Round 3