Rafael Nadal reaches Australian Open quarter-finals

Rafael Nadal showed glimpses of his very best form as he beat an frustratingly inconsistent Gael Monfils 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-4 to move into the Australian Open quarter-finals and a date with Milos Raonic.

Nadal's victory means he joins Roger Federer in the last eight and tennis fans could now be forgiven for believing they have travelled back in time as the pair put their recent form and fitness concerns behind them.

For just under three hours, the resurgent Spaniard grappled with one of the tour's most electric characters, and while Monfils caught fire in the latter stages, Nadal's blistering start had already set the tone for his four-set triumph.

The former world No 1 was clinical in the match's opening stages, breaking just once in the opening set to pull ahead - allowing the Frenchman to engineer his own downfall with a few ill-timed errors.

Unfortunately, as has so often been the case in Monfils' career, short bursts of brilliance aren't enough to win matches, and consistency was the order of the day as Nadal secured the remaining quarter-final spot at Melbourne Park.

In the second, having found some rhythm, Nadal went on the offensive, his dominance from the net - winning six of his six approach points, forcing Monfils to draw upon all of his acrobatic abilities.

The match seemed a foregone conclusion until France's No 6 seed shifted through the gears and hit his imperious best - form which has disrupted so many of the game's biggest names in the past.

In set three, Monfils hit three times as many winners as the ninth seed and won 83 per cent of points on serve, trading blows from the back of the court with one of the greatest forehands the sport has ever seen.

Just when a comeback appeared on the cards, and a thrilling five-setter loomed, Monfils went off the boil. His error count outstripped his tally of winners, and Nadal started to hold service with increasing dominance.

At times, Monfils played scintillating tennis - delighting a packed Rod Laver Arena and leaving his opponent muttering in confounded disgust to himself. Unfortunately, such moments were merely punctuation in a compelling display by a Rafa returning to form - his own shot-making was supreme, and his movement as explosive as it has ever been.

Speaking after the match, the 2009 Australian Open champion had only praise for his opponent:

"Gael is a special player - he plays some unbelievable shots, and is one of the more charismatic players on tour, he told Jim Courier in his on-court interview.

"It's a pleasure seeing him in the top positions - it's great for our sport.

"I had a couple of chances in the third to have the break, but I didn't [take them]... I didn't play my best game at 4-4, and he had some huge serves."

Nadal's victory was a far cry from his last campaign in Melbourne, when he exited in the first round after a five-set thriller against Fernando Verdasco, and now sets up his first Grand Slam quarter-final appearance since the 2015 French Open.

"I'm very, very happy being back in the finals of a Grand Slam after a couple of years, especially here where the fans have always supported me," he added.

Next up for the 14-time major champion is Milos Raonic, who breezed past Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6 3-6 6-4 6-1 in his own fourth round clash and beat the Spaniard in the Brisbane International quarter-final a couple of weeks ago.

"I'll just have to play very well, that's the only way", the Spaniard said of his quarter-final match.

"In Brisbane it was a tough game - he's a top player with an amazing serve, so I need to be very focused with my serve and then wait for chances."

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