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

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

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..

Nadal is closing in on the win here. Leading 4-3. No sign of a break or anything here..

Outrageous rally - and they're moving alright! Monfils seals that with a kiss - to the line! And he holds. They're at 3-3 and Monfils appears to have picked up his game here.

And a 214km/h ace from Monfils. What is this?!

But this game isn't quite done yet. Advantage Monfils quickly negated with a ridiculous forehand winner from Nadal.

Game point Monfils - and that winner looked in! After a challenge, it is!

What a shot! Monfils jumps HIGH in the air for that shot - but a service hold for Rafa! Indicative of Monfils, firing some really great big shots - but then bottling. Will Nadal break in this set and take the crucial lead for the win, or are we going to a fourth set?

And he holds! This game is moving ever a bit so slowly and Monfils is playing some great cross-court backhands. Unfortunately, they're not as perfectly aimed as he'd like.

We're nearly 15 minutes in, and Nadal is up 2-1. No breaks of serve just yet and Monfils is about to hold to love!

Service hold! We're going along nicely - 1-1 in the third. And this is where Nadal will hope to finish it off.

Summarising the set: We've seen some real flashes of brilliance from the flexible, agile Monfils here. Unfortunately, they've remained just that. Flashes. Nadal has been by far the more consistent, constantly here.

Nadal's got purpose and fire in his eyes, and he seals out the second set despite a few good attempts from Monfils.

Monfils' winner to unforced error ratio - 9:8, with Nadal managing 10 winners to only 4 unforced errors.

Nadal whacks a forehand in, and a long, quick rally ensues. But there's a MASSIVE reach from Monfils to reach for a near-impossible-to-get Rafa backhand, and Monfils SLIDES in there, smooth as butter, to hit it - backwards!

Unfortunately, the point is long. But it was worth a point for the attempt alone!

Nadal seals out the game to lead 5-3.

Nadal is now up a set 6-3, and at 4-3 in the second. He's running away with this, it would seem..

That didn't last long... Nadal breaks Monfils right back to love! Scores at 4-3.

And he breaks back!! Monfils equalises for 3-3 and Nadal decides that he'll bring out the banana shot instead.

Sliderman, as Monfils is popularly known, will put all of himself into a point, and bottle almost immediately. But wait, what's this? A chance for a break?

Monfils holds this game. He has flashes of brilliance - and pulls out a couple of great big forehands, but he's going to be let down by his inconsistency, it would seem. He trails 2-3 now.

The odds are against Monfils here in Melbourne. Down 1-3, he's about to hold serve. But he looks fatigued - and still, cheerful!

Nadal is up 2-0 - but there's Monfils with a love hold. Inspired game there!

Many have said Monfils' biggest letdown is his mental game - and they may be right. Today, despite a few niggles and an early call for medical attention, Monfils is returning fairly well - and sneaking a couple of aces in between those pesky errors and double faults..

Nadal's forehands are powerful today - and more than a couple of them are going wide!

Hmm, what does Gael #Monfils not want to share with the rest of us? 🤔 🤔 #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/HLEdX8sBrE
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 23, 2017