Roger Federer underlined once again why he will be the man to beat at the Australian Open with a comprehensive straight sets victory over Fabrice Santoro in Melbourne.
The world number one needed just 81 minutes to dismiss his 36th-ranked opponent 6-1 6-2 6-0 in their second round clash in the Rod Laver Arena.
Santoro, whose appearance in the first round took him past Andre Agassi's record of 62 for most Grand Slam matches played, was expected to provide a far sterner test than Federer's first round opponent Diego Hartfield.
But the Swiss star set the tone early by sailing through the opening set.
Federer broke the Frenchman's serve at 2-1 and went on to take the first set in under half an hour.
The second proved much the same story as Santoro dropped his serve in the opening game.
A 22-minute third set was little more than a practice session for the top seed as the outclassed Santoro ran out of ideas, if not endeavour.
Federer did make 18 unforced errors to Santoro's four but produced 53 winners in comparison to the Frenchman's 11.
Tougher tests await the Swiss - he goes on to meet world number 49 Serbian Janko Tipsarevic in the fourth round - but he still had to see off the potentially dangerous Frenchman.
Making his 16th appearance at the Australian Open, Santoro lost few friends with a wholehearted performance spiced with humour and the subtle touches for which he is renowned.
Without a win against Federer since 2002, the tour veteran chased down everything, raising his arms in triumph after producing one fantastic return that forced his rival into a rare error.
He also produced a between-the-legs shot, throwing his racquet in good-humoured exasperation when Federer still managed to win the point.
Even on match point Santoro, nicknamed 'The Magician', managed to draw a laugh from the crowd when he held Federer's serve up, feigning fatigue.
Federer showed his appreciation by jumping the net and embracing his opponent at the end of a short but entertaining match.
Joining the champion Swiss in the next round are local hope Lleyton Hewitt, No 3 seed Novak Djokovic, Spaniards Juan Carlos Ferrero and David Ferrer, Argentinian Juan Monaco and the Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych.
The only seeds to fall in the day session were Russian No 32 Dmitry Tursunov and No 25 Fernando Verdasco, of Spain.
American Sam Querrey beat Tursunov 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 6-4 6-2, while Janko Tipsarevic accounted for Verdasco 7-5 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-3).
Hewitt appeared set for a comfortable win when he took the first two sets against Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin.
But Istomin fought back to take the third set before Hewitt prevailed 6-1 in the fourth, much to the relief of the Australian crowd.
Marcos Baghdatis outlasted Marat Safin in a gruelling five-set struggle to move into the third round.
Baghdatis, who reached the final at Melbourne Park in 2006, took more than three hours to eliminate the Russian, the event's 2005 champion, 6-4 6-4 2-6 3-6 6-2.
Baghdatis will now tackle local favourite Hewitt in a mouthwatering third-round encounter on Saturday.
In other men's singles matches on day four, Berdych overcame Spaniard Oscar Hernandez 6-2 6-1 6-3. Monaco beat American Amer Delic 6-3 7-6 5-7 6-7 (10-8) 8-6 in a 251-minute marathon, while Ferrero downed Australian Alun Jones 6-4 6-4 6-2. Djokovic was too good for Italy's Simone Bolelli 6-1 6-2 6-2.
