Rafael Nadal has advanced to the quarter-finals of the Swiss Indoors Basel tournament by defeating Grigor Dimitrov in three sets 6-4 4-6 6-3.
The Bulgarian had a strong start to the match, securing an early break of the 29-year-old, but Nadal responded by winning four games on the spin to take the first set 6-4.
Dimitrov rallied in the second set and put pressure on the Spaniard by knocking him out of his rhythm due to his power around the court, which eventually yielded a break. The 24-year-old managed to hold out on his own serve to send the match into a deciding set.
However, Nadal produced his best tennis in the final set as he found his form on his forehand to force the Bulgarian into unforced errors. He was also deadly firing several winners down the line, which secured the win for the number three seed.
The 29-year-old will face either Marin Cilic or Teymuraz Gabashvili in the last eight.
Simon Sinclair
