Spanish teenage sensation Rafael Nadal made a big fashion statement and even bigger tennis statement as he again showed the Melbourne Park crowd why he is one of the rising stars of the men's tour on Thursday.

Nadal, wearing long white pants which went below his knee and at the same time the latest sleeveless blue and white top also being worn by Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt, advanced to the round of 32 on Day Four at the Centenary Australian Open as his tennis more than matched his stylish choice of clothing.

The 18-year-old, ranked No.56 in the world, not only eliminated No.15 seed Mikhail Youzhny but did in style by overcoming a two-sets-to-one deficit and being down a match point in the fourth set to win 6-1 4-6 4-6 7-5 6-3 in three hours and 37 minutes.

The quality of the match thrilled the big crowd on Rod Laver Arena as both players traded powerful blows from the baseline and both occasionally ventured to the net as the momentum went back and forth.

But after saving a match point in the tenth game of the fourth set - when Youzhny volleyed long - Nadal then broke the Russian in the next game before serving out the set and then taking immediately control of the deciding set by winning the first four games.

The performance again showed why there are so many rave reviews over the 18-year-old from Mallorca, who first burst onto the scene in 2003 when he cut his ranking from 235 to 47.

That year the stylish left-hander became the youngest player, at 17, to reach the third-round of Wimbledon since a 16-year-old Boris Becker managed the feat in 1984 before going on to win the championship the following year.

Nadal also reached the third-round at the Australian Open last year - where he went out in three tight sets to local hero Lleyton Hewitt - and he could find himself again up against the tough Australian in the fourth-round this year if he can overcame his surprise third-round opponent - world No.238 Bobby Reynolds - in his next match.

And Nadal would clearly relish another chance to play on Melbourne Park's showpiece court against Hewitt.

"I hope so," the Spaniard said.

"Last year I played good with him, I lost 7-6 7-6 6-3 but now I have a chance (to play him again)."

Nadal admitted he had not even heard of his next opponent but said he would be underestimating the American.

"He won against (No.17 seed) Andrei (Pavel) so he is playing well," Nadal said of Reynolds.

But it was Nadal's choice of outfit on court just as much as his powerful ground strokes that had fans talking on Thursday.

Nadal said he had only just recently decided to switch to his new tennis pants, which are far closer to the traditional tennis clothing of the early 20th century than the modern shorts of the 21st century.

"I have only been wearing them this year," Nadal admitted.

But are they comfortable to play in over the course of such a long match?

"Yeah, they are okay. The (long) shorts are very fine, very thin."

Another remarkable aspect of Nadal's performance against Youzhny was he was able to win a three-and-a-half hour match, spread over five sets, without serving a single ace.

But Nadal said that was not uncommon for him.

"This year I am serving a little bit but all my life I have had matches with no aces," he said.