(UTV|COLOMBO) – Defending champion Rafael Nadal’s progress into the US Open Quarter-Finals was far from smooth as he needed four sets to beat unseeded Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili.
The 32-year-old Spaniard led by two sets to love before Basilashvili, ranked 37th in the world, recovered to take a third-set tie-break.
But the top seed broke twice as Basilashvili faded physically in the fourth to win 6-3 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 6-4.
He faces ninth seed Dominic Thiem next.
Nadal has reached at least the quarter-finals in all four Grand Slams this year – the first time he has achieved the feat since 2011.
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