MELBOURNE, Jan 23 — Rafa Nadal remained on course for a men's record 21st Grand Slam title after winning a battle of left-handers against Adrian Mannarino 7-6(14) 6-2 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Sunday.

The only former champion left in the men's draw, 2009 winner Nadal is tied on 20 majors with injured Roger Federer and nine-times Melbourne Park winner Novak Djokovic, who was deported from Australia before the tournament began.

Mannarino had lost both his previous meetings against Nadal and came into the contest after a demanding third-round victory over Russian Aslan Karatsev in a match that lasted four hours and 39 minutes.

And after an intense opening set, which included a 30-point tiebreaker and lasted 81 minutes, the 69th-ranked Frenchman wilted under the blazing afternoon sun at the Rod Laver Arena as Nadal sealed the win with an ace on his first match point.

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The former world number one will next meet either German third seed Alexander Zverev or another left-hander in Denis Shapovalov of Canada for a place in the semi-finals. — Reuters