Rafael Nadal into Wimbledon last 16

London: Rafael Nadal defeated Kazakhstan`s Mikhail Kukushkin 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 to reach the Wimbledon last 16 Saturday, shining beneath the Centre Court roof while torrential rain swept away action on outside courts.

The second seeded Spaniard, the 2008 and 2010 champion, dropped the opening set for the third time in three matches before blitzing the world number 63. Nadal, the 28-year-old winner of 14 Grand Slam titles won 17 of the last 19 games and goes on to face either Australia`s Nick Kyrgios or Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic for a place in the quarter-final.