Rafael Nadal believes he is in better form than during last year's run to the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
Nadal, who has yet to drop a set, defeated Fernando Gonzalez, the 13th seed from Chile, 6-3 6-2 6-4 in one hour and 55 minutes today.
While he did not look quite as sharp as he had when ousting Tommy Haas in the previous round, Nadal did enough to comfortably get past the Chilean, who admitted feeling tired after his exertions in his epic match against Richard Gasquet on Saturday.
"Probably I am playing a little bit better than last year, I think," said Nadal. "I am not saying I'm going to be in the final or I'm going to be in the semi-finals.
"I just think the feeling is a little bit better. But in the end the important thing is the result."
As for today's performance, Nadal was happy overall.
"I think I played well, it was a very solid match from the baseline," he said. "I was playing very good forehands, backhands.
"Maybe the only thing today I can improve a little bit more for sure is the serve. Today I was not 100% happy with my serve. It wasn't very bad, but I think I was serving better the last matches."
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and James Blake had to contend with a fireworks display celebrating Australia Day midway through their night match on Rod Laver Arena.
While the Frenchman came through in straight sets, 6-4 6-4 7-6 (7/3), he admitted the break for the display had been an unwelcome distraction.
"Yeah, a little bit, because after that I was a little bit stressed," said Tsonga. "It was difficult to serve just after the fireworks. But I did the job, and I'm happy I did it."
Blake, however, felt the delay had not contributed to his downfall.
After the fireworks had finished, he raced into a 5-2 lead in the third set but threw away set point and from there Tsonga clawed his way back to force a tie-break, which he won.
The American said: "I've dealt with different things. In any match, there's injury time-outs, things happen in the crowd. Anything could happen. We were prepared for that beforehand. They told us that it was going to happen around that time.
"They wanted to try to do it on a changeover, then see if we wanted to sit it out. If one person wanted to sit and not play through it, then we wouldn't play through it.
"He didn't want to play through it. So we sat there and waited for, whatever, 10 minutes."
Tsonga will now play Fernando Verdasco after he ousted fourth seed Andy Murray in a nail-biting five-setter.
Murray, looking to reach the last eight in Melbourne for the first time, came into the match having not dropped a set but that all changed against the number 14 seed from Spain.
Verdasco, who was playing in the last 16 for the first time in Australia, had only dropped 12 games en route to his showdown with Murray - the fewest number of games conceded through the first three rounds of the Australian Open in the open era.
And as he peppered the baseline and sidelines with winners and had Murray scampering around the court chasing drop shots and lobs, it was easy to see why.
Murray had struggled with headaches and a sore throat prior to his third-round match against Jurgen Melzer but insisted that had not been a factor in the defeat.
"I didn't feel terrible at all. You know, I had my chances. He served incredible in the fourth and fifth sets. So, you know, he deserves the credit for the win," the British number one said.
Gilles Simon had the easiest day of all after his friend and fellow Frenchman Gael Monfils was forced to retire with a wrist injury after only three sets.
"You never want to win like this. It's already strange when it's another player but when it's a friend like Gael it's more difficult," the 24-year-old said after being 6-4 2-6 6-1 up when the 12th seed was forced to quit.
"I have a quarter-final (against Nadal) to play in two days, and I just have to focus on that."
