WOMEN’S SINGLES

“But I started with positive feelings. That’s most important thing for me now.

“Of course, there are things to improve. But the thing that I need to improve, the matches will give me those things. Victories are the most important thing now.”

Nadal needs to reach the quarter-finals to be certain of retaining his world number one ranking after the Australian Open, with Federer breathing down his neck. The top seed only conceded three games in the match and had few problems with Estrella Burgos, who has a modest 6-15 record at Grand Slams.

Nadal is at his first major tournament in years without his uncle Toni, who coached him from childhood until after his US Open win last year.

Toni Nadal is now coaching at the Rafael Nadal Academy, with his nephew under the tutelage of Carlos Moya. “Toni was not always in the (player’s) box. It’s true that in the Grand Slams he was here all the time,” Nadal said. “I cannot think about that all day. I just have to move forward.” Jelena Ostapenko (LAT x7) bt Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 6-1, 6-4 Zhang Shuai (CHN) bt Sloane Stephens (USA x13) 2-6, 7-6 (7/2),

6-2

Belinda Bencic (SUI) bt Venus Williams (USA x5) 6-3, 7-5

Timea Babos (HUN) bt Coco Vandeweghe (USA x10) 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS x15) bt Kateryna Kozlova (UKR) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3

Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x2)

Mihaela Buzarnescu (ROM) 6-2, 6-3 Elina Svitolina (UKR x4) bt Ivana Jorovic (SRB) 6-3, 6-2