Spain’s David Ferrer overcame a slow start to rout Juan Ignacio Chela 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 Saturday and join three of his countrymen in the round of 16 of the Australian Open.

Chela’s defeat, meanwhile, left fellow Argentine Juan Martin del Potro as the only Latin American left in the first Grand Slam tournament of the tennis season.

The early part of the match, in which Chela raced off to a 4-0 lead thanks to his strong returning and erratic play by the Spaniard, provided no inkling of what was to come later.