Australian Open: Rafael Nadal Survives Epic Tiebreak to Power into Quarter-finals

Rafael Nadal came out on top of an epic 28-minute opening-set tiebreak in sapping heat to power past Adrian Mannarino into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Sunday. The 20-time Grand Slam champion needed all of his experience and resolve to go on and claim a 7-6 (16/14), 6-2, 6-2 victory on Rod Laver Arena to reach the last eight. It is the 35-year-old Spanish great’s 14th quarter-final in his 17th visit to Melbourne. The sixth-seeded Nadal will next face either Germany’s third seed Alexander Zverev or Canadian 14th seed Denis Shapovalov in the quarters.

“I was a little bit lucky at the end of the tiebreaker, I had my chances but then he had a lot of chances too," Nadal said.

“That crazy first set was so important and the service break at the beginning of the second set too.