Nadal defeats Monfils, reaches ninth Aus Open quarter-final

Melbourne [Australia],Jan. 23.(ANI): Rafael Nadal has entered his ninth Australian Open quarter-final by defeating sixth seed Gael Monfils 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-4 at Rod Laver Arena on Monday. The 30-year-old Spaniard, seeded ninth on his comeback to tennis after battling injury for much of 2016, defeated the Frenchman for the fifth straight time squandering his opponent's chance to advance to the Australian Open quarterfinals for the second year in succession. Nadal will meet third seed Milos Raonic in the final eight. Earlier on Monday, the big-serving Canadian pushed past Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in four sets. The 2009 champion reached the quarter-finals in Melbourne for the ninth time and it was his first since the 2015 French Open. "I'm very happy being in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam after a couple of years without being there," he said. "It's very special for me, especially here in Australia where I feel (it's) a little bit like home." He added: "Gael is a special player. He is able to play unbelievable shots. It is a pleasure to see him in the top rankings." It was Nadal's first win over a top-10 player at a Grand Slam since he defeated number two Novak Djokovic to win the title at Roland Garros in 2014, his last Grand Slam win. (ANI)