Rafael Nadal's remarkable stint at the Australian Open 2017 will get tested when the King of Clay meets Canada's Milos Raonic in the quarterfinal round of the tournament.
Nadal is steadily proving he still has what it takes to win another Grand Slam singles title, despite all the injuries and setbacks the Mallorcan suffered in the past two seasons. A hot start in this year's Australian Open has given Nadal the momentum to defeat France's Gael Monfils in Round of 16, 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-4.
"I'm very happy being in the quarter-finals in a Grand Slam after a couple of years without being there. It is very special for me and especially here in Australia, where it feels a little like home. The crowd is always supporting me," Nadal said, reports the ATP's official website.
The ninth seed Nadal will next face Raonic, who needed four sets to beat Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6(6) 3-6 6-4 6-1 in order to advance into the QF round.
Nadal has a 6-2 advantage over Raonic in their FedEx ATP Head2Head matchup, but it was the world No. 3 who won their most recent outing, defeating the Spaniard at the Brisbane International earlier this month. Having been familiar in playing against Raonic, Nadal knows he needs to top his overall performance in the first Grand Slam event of the year to reach closer to a potential classic showdown against career rival Roger Federer.
"I have to play very, very well, that's the only way," Nadal said. "He beat me a couple of weeks ago in Brisbane. It was a tough game. He's a top player with an amazing serve, so I need to be focused with my serve and wait for opportunities on my return."
The winner between Nadal and Raonic will get to face either David Goffin or Grigor Dimitrov in the semis round. Goffin got past Dominic Thiem in their Round of 16 clash with a 5-7 7-6(4) 6-2 6-2 victory, while Dimitrov eliminated Denis Istomin, 2-6 7-6(2) 6-2 6-1.
Live streaming info and score updates
Watch Australian Open 2017 Rafael Nadal vs Milos Raonic live via AusOpen.com or Watch ESPN. Live scores will be available during game days at the Australian Open's official website.