Nadal keeps low key ahead of Berdych clash

World No. 3 Rafael Nadal said a ticket to this year's Australian Open quarter-final was already satisfying after his long absence from competition.

Nadal overpowered the 15th-ranked Anderson 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 on Sunday and will meet Czech seventh seed Tomas Berdych in the last eight.

"For me quarter-finals is a great result, talking seriously," said the Spaniard. "Losing in the first round of Qatar, not playing matches for the last seven months, to have the chance to be in quarterfinals again here is a very positive thing for me. I'm very happy for that."

Nadal admitted that Berdych would be tough opponent to beat.

Berdych outclassed Australian Bernard Tomic 6-2, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2, making the quarters for the third straight year without losing a set.

You're going to play a very tough player like Tomas Berdych that he started the season great playing very well in Doha, and now he's here in quarterfinals. I don't know if he lost a set. I don't think so. He's playing great," said Nadal.

In Sunday's match, Nadal encountered some resistance in the first set before his wisdom and experience helped him get past an opponent who has a good serve and forehand.

"I don't know if you saw that, but I changed completely the position on the return. I was returning very close to the baseline. Is easier to start more aggressive and make the transition aggressive to defensive than defensive to aggressive," Nadal said.

"Because before my feeling was he was winning too many points only with the serve. So I tried to change that at the end of the first set. I was able to have some good returns. One very good one, but then the other ones, just put the ball inside the court and then try to let him think a little bit more than what he was doing until that moment," he added. Endit