Second seed Novak Djokovic gave the fans who had sat through several rain break a thumbs up after he joined Nadal in the third round with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Italy's Paolo Lorenzi. Nadal, the 2008 champion, was unable to defend his title 12 months ago when his creaking knees ruled him out of playing any competitive matches on the manicured lawns of Queen's or Wimbledon.

"It's difficult to compare (how I felt this time last year) because... one year ago I was injured and now I am not injured. That's the big difference," the 24-year-old, who lifted a fifth French Open crown and regained the world number one ranking at the weekend, told reporters.

"My knees were not working well."

On Wednesday, there was nothing wrong with his knees, his tactics or his confidence — but his outfit might have raised a few eyebrows in a country more used to seeing tennis players turn out in all-white.

Nadal bounded on to an overcast Center Court sporting a luminous green jacket, bag and bandana and appeared to be in a race against time to finish off the match before the heavens opened over west London.

With just eight minutes on the clock, Nadal had flattened Daniel with a series of bewitching winners to race into a 3-0 lead, showing the kind of form that helped him to complete the French Open-Queen's-Wimbledon treble in 2008.

It was little wonder that as a low flying helicopter drowned out yet another wave of prolonged applause for the Spaniard, Daniel looked up longingly at the rotorcraft perhaps wishing it would drop down on a line to rescue him from Nadal's onslaught.

There was no such luck for the Brazilian and he lost the first set when he was broken for the second time with a delightful angled winner from Nadal.

The seven-times grand slam champion's charge was briefly halted at 2-1 in the second set but after a 15-minute rain burst, he returned to court and ended Daniel's torment with a crafty service return.

While Nadal extended his winning streak on grass to 13, with his last defeat coming to Roger Federer in the 2007 Wimbledon final, Djokovic saved himself a long workout by saving all six break points he faced to down the world No.  96 Lorenzi.

Eighth seed Feliciano Lopez, a Spaniard who loves to serve and volley, continued a good day for the seeds with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov.
 
Hewitt reaches quarterfinals at Halle

In Halle,  Germany, Australia's Lleyton Hewitt beat Thiemo de Bakker of the Netherlands 6-3, 6-3 Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals of the Gerry Weber Open and said he was in ideal form heading into the latter stages of the tournament.

The 29-year-old Hewitt felt a twinge in his neck during the match but served well nevertheless to sweep past the 21-year-old Dutch player and continue his impressive comeback from a hip injury.

"I felt a bit of stiffness in my neck when I went back for a smash and I didnt want it to get worse, but I was able to keep going, which was good," the eighth-seeded Hewitt said.

"I served very well and cleanly — I have not put a foot wrong so far. If I can take care of my serve, then I feel I am as good a returner as anyone." Not only does Hewitts form in Halle augur well for the remainder of the tournament, in which he can only meet favorite Roger Federer in the final, but it also puts him in confident mood ahead of Wimbledon, which starts a week on Monday.

"I think I can do some damage if I get the right draw," he said. "Grass is possibly my favorite surface, which is not something I thought I would say when I started on the Tour.

"Its not like on clay when you get lots of chances to break. On grass, you only get half-chances and you have to take them, which I am doing so far."  Hewitt will meet Andreas Beck in the last eight after the German player defeated compatriot Nicolas Kiefer 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (4).

"Hewitt is incredible on grass," Beck said. "He has won Wimbledon and has played great here. He will be the top favorite, but I will try my best. Of course I want to win, but he is the overwhelming favorite.

"Its definitely going to be something special to play against a Wimbledon champion and a man who was No. 1 in the world. He deserves respect." Philipp Petzschner defeated Viktor Troicki 7-6 (5), 6-3 to become the first name in the quarterfinals.

Federer takes on Colombia's Alejandro Falla in the last 16 on Thursday.