Rafael Nadal vs Gael Monfils Australian Open 2017 Day 8 Live Score Match Updates

Nadal beats Monfils 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

Updated: 23 January 2017 18:42 IST - Published: 23 January 2017 07:32 IST

Australian Open 2017: Rafael Nadal moves into the quarter-finals Read

And it's all over! Rafael Nadal beats Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

And Nadal finally wins. A raucous set of cheers and he's as relieved as they are.

Monfils now serves to stay in the set - and the match!

Monfils is really enjoying this - and it shows! He signals to the crowd to 'chill out', and he's quite focused now.

Back to back ace and an extremely quick forehand winner from Monfils. Another hold to love?

What is going on? Ideally for Nadal, he should have finished this off a set ago. Right now, there's a big attack being mounted by Monfils - who incidentally is the higher-seeded here.

BREAK! Monfils leads 3 games 2 up a break of serve with that whopper.

Nadal is visibly angry here - with himself most likely. Monfils isn't out yet.

That was an incredible rally. 32 shots in that rally. Thirty-two! And Monfils sends a beautiful cross-court forehand and it's DONE! Point taken - and he's about to break to love!

Another leaping shot! How athletic is Monfils today?

Yet another #Nadal love hold, closed with a forehand winner from the mid-court. Needs to keep holding in that confident manner & break ASAP.
— Abigail Johnson (@abigailtennis) January 23, 2017

A quieter game from Monfils, but a good one nevertheless. Right now, Nadal races to a love hold!

Nadal's up a service game in the fourth. Can he finish this off now? An almighty leap from Monfils right there - and he's about to hold his service game quickly!

pic.twitter.com/2z4ZN1u4rD
— doublefault28 (@doublefault28) January 23, 2017

Nadal, up two sets to 1, is still the firm favourite.

Monfils is celebrating as though the match is won. Not yet, Gael, not yet!

And that's it! Third set to Gael Monfils, 6-4!

Back to deuce.. but yet another ace from Monfils. Where is he pulling these from?! 224km/h. Wow.

What a shot. And an extremely well-timed ace from Monfils! Advantage Monfils - and set point!

Advantage Nadal - and an advantage that's frittered away with a shot straight into the net.

And almost immediately, Nadal's creating the opportunity to break back. But that was a wild, wide forehand. And that sends the game to deuce.

Double fault from Nadal at the worst possible time. And then a forehand sent out wide. Dear oh dear.

It ain't over till it's over! It's Monfils who breaks first here - and leads 5-4! He'll now serve for the set.

4-4. Chugging along nicely, and given Nadal's on serve this should be easy... but wait, Monfils creating a break opportunity here..