Rafael Nadal came out on top of an epic 28-minute opening-set tiebreaker 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, 6-2, 6-2 victory in 2hr 40min on Rod Laver Arena to reach the Last 8. It is the Spanish great’s 14th quarter-final in his 17th visit to Melbourne.

Extraordinary opener

The story of the match was the extraordinary opening-set tiebreak, where Nadal held seven set points and Frenchman Mannarino four. It proved an epic in the searing heat, before Nadal prevailed 16-14 after winning a furious rally.