Australian Open: Rafael Nadal wins epic tie-break as Denis Shapovalov beats Alexander Zverev

Rafael Nadal progressed to the Australian Open quarter-finals with a straight-set win over Adrian Mannarino as the Spaniard continues his quest for a record-breaking 21st major title.

Nadal, 35, edged an epic 28-minute first-set tie-break as he eventually converted his seventh set point.

Mannarino struggled with injury after the tie-break, as the sixth seed went on to claim a 7-6 (16-14) 6-2 6-2 win.

Nadal plays Denis Shapovalov next after he beat third seed Alexander Zverev.

Canadian 14th seed Shapovalov, 22, reached his first Australian Open quarter-final with an impressive 6-3 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 victory against Germany's Olympic champion.

The exit of the 24-year-old Zverev, a 2020 semi-finalist, leaves Nadal as the highest ranked player remaining in the top half of the men's singles draw.

It proved a frustrating match for Zverev, one of the pre-tournament favourites after winning the ATP Finals for a second time in November, and his wait for a first Grand Slam title goes on.

Nadal, the 2009 champion and five-time finalist in Melbourne, also faced four set points in a remarkable opening set which lasted one hour and 22 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.

Mannarino had come through a mammoth four-set match against Russia's 18th seed Aslan Karatsev that lasted four hours and 48 minutes in the previous round.

And the breathless battle at the start of this match took its toll on the 33-year-old Mannarino, who had a problem with his knee and groin and was subsequently broken in the opening game of the second set.

Nadal made a fast start in the third too, breaking Mannarino in the opening game once again, but despite struggling the Frenchman rallied and broke back to love.

He could not deny Nadal in third game, despite saving five break points —