No comeback this time for Canas

David Nalbandian took three sets to achieve what Tim Henman (pictured) failed to do in five and beat fellow Argentine Guillermo Canas at the Australian Open.

Nalbandian, the eighth seed, has been in sparking form all year and reached the quarter-finals with another straight-sets demolition job.

Canas had been through successive five-set marathons, and less than two days after his near-five hour epic with Henman, he could not match Nalbandian and went down 6-4 6-2 6-1.

Nalbandian, the 2002 Wimbledon runner-up, has not dropped a set in four matches and a backhand winner off Canas’ serve sealed the win in one hour 44 minutes – three hours nine minutes shorter than his last match.

Canas had staged a remarkable comeback to beat Henman, winning 9-7 in the fifth set, but looked jaded today, unsurprising given his workload after missing eight months last year following wrist surgery.

“He was tired from the last match, but I played really good,” said Nalbandian afterwards.

“I feel great, I played a great match.”

Nalbandian’s quarter-final opponent will be either Lleyton Hewitt or second seed Roger Federer, who are to meet under the lights at Rod Laver Arena in the evening session.

On Australia Day, the other home favourite Mark Philippoussis was up against Moroccan Hicham Arazi and third seed Juan Carlos Ferrero had moved two sets to one up over Romanian Andrei Pavel.