Former world number one Rafael Nadal equalled Stefan Edberg's record for the fourth-most wins by a man at the Australian Open.

Nadal celebrated his 56th Australian Open victory by beating local wildcard James Duckworth in straight sets in Melbourne on Monday.

The 17-time grand slam champion impressed in his first appearance since the US Open, winning 6-4 6-3 7-5.

Spanish second seed Nadal is within striking distance of Jack Crawford (58) and six-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic (61) on the all-time list, while two-time reigning champion Roger Federer (94) holds the record.

Nadal will face either Matthew Ebden or Jan-Lennard Struff in the second round at Melbourne Park.