Novak Djokovic stepped up a level in his Australian Open third round match against Tomas Machac, brushing the Czech aside 6-1 6-4 6-4 with a vintage performance to reach the second week at Melbourne Park for the 17th time.
The 37-year-old seventh seed conceded sets to younger opponents in the first two rounds but the best world number 25 Muchac could muster up was a single break of serve at the start of the second set.
Djokovic broke straight back, called out the doctor then rattled off the next three games, which included a brilliant point which the Serbian won with a backhand crosscourt winner.
Machac beat the former world number one on clay in Geneva last year but struggled to get his game going on a cool evening on the Rod Laver Arena court where Djokovic has won 10 of his 24 Grand Slam titles.
The Czech had another look at Djokovic's serve at the end of the second set only for his opponent to quickly shut the door and by the third Machac was getting sympathetic applause from the crowd merely for winning a point.
"I think I played really well, I'm very happy with my game," said Djokovic after bringing an end to the uneven contest with a rasping backhand winner.
"There's always something to improve but this is definitely the best match I've played in the tournament so far."
New coach Andy Murray will have been pleased with a clear step up in the quality of Djokovic's serve and the Serbian also eased concerns about the treatment he received on court at the start of the second set.
"I was trying to catch my breath," Djokovic laughed. "I'm not 19 any more."
The Serbian will meet another Czech in 24th seed Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round with French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz looming as his potential opponent in the quarter-finals.
Third seed Alcaraz dropped his first set of the tournament but still safely secured his passage into the fourth round of the Australian Open with a 6-2 6-4 6-7(3-7) 6-3 victory over Nuno Borges on Friday.
The 21-year-old Spaniard has quietly but authoritatively gone about his business in the first week at Melbourne as teenagers ousted seeds, Jannik Sinner progressed in his title defence and Novak Djokovic in his quest for a 25th major crown.
Two conversions from four break points were enough for him to take the first set, one from one handed him the second, before the experienced Portuguese number one snatched the momentum back at the end of the third.
Borges blew one set point at 6-5 by going long with a return but made no mistake in the tiebreak to claim the set and leave Alcaraz seething in his chair.
The four-times Grand Slam champion came out in the fourth set like a man on a mission, breaking at the first opportunity for 2-0 with a spectacular over-the-shoulder pass from the back of the court.
A huge roar of "Vamos!" echoed over the sunbathed Rod Laver Arena and from that point Alcaraz's place in the fourth round for the 11th time in 16 Grand Slam campaigns looked assured.
The remainder of the set from Alcaraz was venomous serving, a few sumptuous drop shots and the customary barrage of forehand winners, the 35th of which brought up match point after just under three hours on court.
"I missed Rod Laver Arena," Alcaraz said after the world number 33 had dumped the final shot of the match into the net.
"I'm just really happy to be able to play here once again and show my best tennis here. It's been a pleasure whenever I step on this court, it's a beautiful court. The last time I played here, I lost so I really wanted a win here."
He already has two Wimbledon crowns and one title each at the US and French Open so the Australian Open, where his best result was his quarter-final appearance last year, would count as his least successful Grand Slam.
Tattoos commemorate his triumphs at the other three majors and Alcaraz confirmed he has plans for a bit more ink if he wins the title in Melbourne.
"It'll be a kangaroo," he said on court to cheers from the crowd.
Marathon man Jack Draper survived a third consecutive five-set match to set up a fourth-round clash with Alcaraz.
After going the distance against both Mariano Navone and Thanasi Kokkinakis, Draper again came from two sets to one down to see off unseeded Australian Aleksandar Vukic.
This time he could not be separated from his unheralded but impressive opponent until a deciding tie-break, which he just edged to clinch a 6-4 2-6 5-7 7-6 (5) 7-6 (10/8) victory at 12.55am.
Draper barely had the energy to celebrate, saying in his on-court interview: "Firstly Alex played incredible, it was an unbelievably tough match. There were so many ebbs and flows.
"It was just great tennis. I thought it was done and he just came back from the dead. We're suffering a lot in five sets and sometimes you get little bits of energy. It was just a great battle. Two competitors going at it. That’s what sport’s about
"My body doesn’t feel too great but luckily I’ve got a good physio. I’ve loved the atmosphere and it’s given me a lot of energy to keep on pushing, keep on pushing and I’m surprising myself."
Draper has spent more than 12 and a half hours on court during his three matches and he must now try to recover for a first grand slam meeting with third seed Alcaraz on Sunday.
