Nadal, Clijsters through

World number one Rafael Nadal survived a brief scare against local teenager Bernard Tomic to reach the Australian Open last 16 yesterday, as women’s favourite Kim Clijsters also battled through.

Nadal, gunning to unite the four Grand Slam titles for the first time since 1969, was surprisingly broken twice by the confident Australian 18-year-old in the second set before recovering to win 6-2, 7-5, 6-3.

Nadal stretched his Grand Slam streak to 23 matches after winning Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open last year.

The 24-year-old Spaniard will next play Marin Cilic after the Croatian 15th seed defeated fellow five-set specialist John Isner 4-6, 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/2), 9-7 in 4hr 33min.

Robin Soderling and Andy Murray, among the leading favourites to break Nadal and defending champion Federer’s Grand Slam stranglehold, were on a collision course for the quarter-finals as both reached week two without dropping a set.

Murray, last year’s beaten finalist, dismissed Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-1, 6-1, 6-2, as he seeks Britain’s first Grand Slam title in 75 years. He will face Jurgen Melzer next round.

Soderling eyed his fourth successive Grand Slam quarter-final after cruising past Jan Hernych 6-3, 6-1, 6-4. He will play Ukraine’s Alexandr Dolgopolov, who beat 2008 finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Milos Raonic, the 20-year-old Canadian with the thunderous serve, shocked 10th seed Mikhail Youzhny to reach the fourth round on debut.

Raonic, who served a tournament-quickest 230 kilometres per hour screamer against Michael Llodra, will play David Ferrer after the Spanish baseliner knocked out 20-year-old Lithuanian Richard Berankis.

Earlier, US Open champion Clijsters was made to work by France’s Alize Cornet, who fought hard on her 21st birthday but could not prevent the Belgian winning 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.

US Open champion Clijsters has a chance to return to world number one, two years after her long break to have a baby, if she wins in Melbourne and top seed Caroline Wozniacki falls before the semis.

“I know (Cornet) didn’t get the result she wanted, but it’s not a bad place to celebrate your birthday out here on the Rod Laver Arena,” said Clijsters, who will play Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova in the next round.

Meanwhile, Czech player Petra Kvitova doused local hopes when she knocked out below-par French Open finalist Samantha Stosur, the fifth seed, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3.