Nadal advances to semis following 5-set thriller against Shapovalov, Latest Tennis News - The New Paper
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Nadal advances to semis following 5-set thriller against Shapovalov

MELBOURNE (AFP, REUTERS) - Rafael Nadal continued his march towards a record 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open on Tuesday, defeating Canadian Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3 in the quarter-finals.

After dropping the fourth set, the 35-year-old Spaniard marshalled his resources off court with a medical time-out, then returned to break 14th seed Shapovalov in the second game of the fifth set to wrest back the momentum.

Channelling the experience of 20 Grand Slam titles, Nadal kept the Canadian at arm’s length then sealed one of his great wins when Shapovalov pushed a volley wide and ended up smashing his racket into the court in anguish.

The match, on a steamy afternoon at the Rod Laver Arena, took 4hr 8min.

Nadal will meet either Italian seventh seed Matteo Berrettini or French veteran Gael Monfils for a place in the final.

The Spaniard won his lone Australian Open back in 2009.

A second this year would take him ahead of absent rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, who also have 20 Grand Slam titles.

Rafael NadalAUSTRALIAN OPEN (TENNIS)