Defending champion Stanislas Wawrinka has reached the third round of the Australian Open with a 7-6 7-6 6-3 victory over Marius Copil.

Copil set the tone in the opening game by earning a break point, but Wawrinka refused to be caught out early by his Romanian rival.

Two more break points would come and go for Copil, and the hint of an opportunity for the qualifier quickly disappeared as Wawrinka recovered from 0-2 in the tie-break to take the lead.

There were signs of the fourth seed finding his rhythm early in the second set as he secured a break of serve with a couple of stunning backhands.

However, the response from Copil was impressive as he broke the 2014 winner in the eighth game to put the pressure back on his opponent.

The two players traded mini-breaks in the tie-break, but it was Wawrinka who held his nerve at a crucial stage to strike a crucial blow to Copil's chances.

Wawrinka needed just one break of serve in the eighth game to finally overcome his opponent's challenge in two hours and 19 minutes.