A rampaging Roger Federer delivered a stunning reminder of his class at the Australian Open with a crushing 6-2 6-4 6-4 win over Tomas Berdych to storm into the fourth round.
Playing only his third tour match since coming back from a knee injury, Federer was expected to be tested by the hard-hitting Czech but he sent the 10th seed packing after a 90-minute masterclass at a floodlit Rod Laver Arena.
The 35-year-old Swiss, seeded 17th, had shown rust in his earlier matches but was in spell-binding touch with 40 winners, wrapping up the match with an imperious crosscourt backhand.
Federer will meet fifth seed Kei Nishikori for a place in the quarter-finals.
Andy Murray did what Novak Djokovic could not by beating Sam Querrey with ease to reach the fourth round.
Djokovic not only lost to Querrey at Wimbledon last year but crashed out in round two here to wildcard Denis Istomin, leaving Murray in pole position to clinch his first Melbourne title.
The Scot's response was a masterclass in counter-punch tennis as the big-hitting Querrey was taken apart 6-4 6-2 6-4 in one minute shy of two hours.
Murray will now face Germany's world number 50 Mischa Zverev, who is into the last 16 at a major tournament for the first time after beating Tunisian Malek Jaziri.
This is familiar territory, however, for Murray, who has now reached 24 consecutive grand slam fourth rounds and, despite a late wobble, he looks well-placed heading into the second week.
He is yet to drop a set so far and there was also little evidence of his sore right ankle - rolled in the second round against Andrey Rublev - causing him any real trouble.
Instead, Murray neutralised Querrey's booming serve, which delivered only five aces and was broken five times, while displaying a level of craft and precision the American was simply unable to match.
"It was tough," Murray said on court afterwards. "Especially in the first set, Sam was hitting a huge ball, he served extremely well but the key moment came at 3-4 in the first set.
"I saved a break point and broke the next game and had the momentum after that."
On his ankle, Murray added: "I felt better and better as the match went on in terms of movement.
"I was a bit hesitant at the beginning, a bit sore, but was moving well at the end so that was very positive."
Mischa Zverev beat Tunisian Malek Jaziri 6-1 4-6 6-3 6-0 to set up a date with the world number one Murray.
Fourth seed Stan Wawrinka overcame a rusty start to advance to the fourth round with a 3-6 6-2 6-2 7-6(7) victory over Serbia's Viktor Troicki.
Wawrinka will now meet Andreas Seppi after the Italian beat Belgium's Steve Darcis 4-6 6-4 7-6(1) 7-6(2) in their third round match on Show Court 3.
The 2014 Australian Open champion was broken three times by the 29th-seeded Serb in the first set in their clash on Rod Laver Arena and committed twice as many (14) unforced errors as the 30-year-old from Belgrade.
Wawrinka, however, finally settled and while Troicki broke when the Swiss was serving for the match at 5-4 and 6-5 in the fourth set then saved a match point in the tiebreak, the U.S. Open champion finally clinched victory in two hours, 32 minutes.
“It doesn't matter the way you're playing, especially the beginning of a grand slam. It doesn't change anything,” Wawrinka told reporters.
“The goal is to win those matches. I don't really care if I play really well, well, or okay. I want to win. I want to get through those matches. I want to go as far as possible.
“That's what matters at the end of the day.”
French 12th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was made to work hard for his win by Jack Sock as the American went down 7-6(4) 7-5 6-7(8) 6-3 in three hours and 33 minutes.
Italian Andreas Seppi came back from a set down to beat Belgium's Steve Darcis 4-6 6-4 7-6(1) 7-6(2) in three hours and seven minutes.
Dan Evans continued his fairytale run at Melbourne Park by downing local world number 27 Bernard Tomic 7-5 7-6(2) 7-6(3) to give Britain two men in the last 16 of the Australian Open for the first time in 16 years.
The 26-year-old, who upset seventh seed Marin Cilic in the second round, prevailed at the end of a thrilling two-hour 48-minute battle in a highly-charged atmosphere on Hisense Arena to end Australia's interest in the men's singles draw.
Evans refused to play on and insisted the stadium roof be closed when rain started falling on the court late in the third set but recovered his composure to win the tiebreak and set up a meeting with France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
