Pat Rafter set himself up for a fourth-round encounter with Sweden's Thomas Johansson today after a convincing win over Germany's Rainer Schuttler on Saturday.

Rafter has never met Johansson, who earlier beat number five seed Yevgeny Kafelnivov and followed it up on Saturday with victory over compatriot Magnus Gustaffson in a hard five-setter.

But he said: "I'd rather be playing a baseliner at this stage than someone like Tim (Henman) or Pete (Sampras) . But these guys serve pretty well and they stay back and they rip their shots. It's going to be a serve-volley against a baseliner; similar to the match I played against Rainer.'' For the first time in these championships Rafter began to look the genuine article -- something he acknowledged himself afterwards -- as for the third time he dispatched an opponent without dropping a set in his 6-2, 7-6, 6-3 win.

In his previous two matches though, against Britain's Jamie Delgado and fellow Australian Todd Woodbridge, it had been more of a struggle.

On Saturday, Rafter began to show the mark of a potential champion -- the ability to play the important points well. The first set was simplicity itself -- 22 minutes and two breaks -- before Schuttler began to provide some resistance to take the second into a tie-breaker. But Rafter was unbowed and swept through that to win it 7-2.

Schuttler had break points in the third but was unable to convert and when Rafter's chance came along, he took it.

"I served really well, especially on the big points,'' the Bermuda resident said later.

"I pretty well took most of the chances I had. I was very determined and pumped up out there. I think that's the difference I've had coming into this week compared to other tournaments I've played in recently. "I think there was a situation at 4-4 in the second set where he had a break point. I stayed back and we got into a rally. If you lose those points I guess you think things aren't going your way. If you win them, you know that something's happening, it's positive, it's going your way.'' Rafter knows now he can go all the way, but he prefers to not look too far ahead and although the injured shoulder that put him out of the game for five months has not proved a problem so far, the Australian is still erring on the side of caution.

"I'm starting to play good tennis again,'' he said. "The shoulder's fine, 100 percent at this stage. Still, it hasn't had a big five-setter yet -- not that I really want one -- so it hasn't been really tested out.

"I feel now as if I have as good a chance as anyone. I have a one in 16 chance of winning it and it's going up every day.

"When you haven't played a lot of matches, you don't know how to get out of situations. Now I've felt like I've had more matches, that's the big thing.'' Rafter was spending yesterday's day off with other Australians at the annual Australia tennis players cricket match against the South African players.

Asked if he was a bowler or a batsman, he replied: "I'm a pretty aggressive everything.'' Pat Rafter: picking up form.