Former finalist Marin Cilic remains the most dangerous floater in the Australian Open draw after winning his first-round clash in a canter.
Runner-up to Roger Federer two years ago, Cilic blitzed past Frenchman Corentin Moutet 6-3 6-2 6-4 in an hour and 46 minutes on Tuesday.
The giant Croatian smashed 34 winners, dropping just one service game on his way to a dominant victory.
Cilic is unseeded at Melbourne Park after slipping outside the top 30 and will face either Frenchman Benoit Paire or German Cedrik-Marcel Stebe in the second round.
The 2014 US Open champion is on a potential third-round collision course with Roberto Bautista Agut, who firmed as a tournament dark horse after securing a seventh straight victory.
Bautista Agut, unbeaten in six matches during Spain’s run to the ATP Cup final, continued his winning ways, beating countryman Feliciano Lopez 6-2 6-2 7-5.
The ninth seed, a quarter-finalist in Melbourne last year, had to wait overnight to claim victory as heavy rain suspended the clash at 1-2 in the second set.
Another compatriot may await him in the second round, with Bautista Agut to face either Spain’s Pablo Andujar or American wildcard Michael Mmoh.
Canadian Milos Raonic also had little trouble closing out his rain-delayed encounter over lucky loser Lorenzo Giustino 6-2 6-1 6-3.
Raonic, who lost to Andy Murray in the 2016 Open final, is staring at a likely third-round clash with last year’s breakout semi-finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas but will first confront Chile’s Christian Garin or Italian Stefano Travaglia.
Elsewhere, diminutive Argentinian Diego Schwartzman ground out a 6-4 6-2 6-2 win over South African Lloyd Harris, while Italian teen sensation Jannik Sinner outgunned Australian qualifier Max Purcell 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 6-4.