Top seeded Rafael Nadal produced a resilient performance on Friday as he outclassed his Australian opponent Bernard Tomic in an enthralling three-set thriller to reach the semi-finals of the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart.
The Spaniard fired 14 aces to overcome Tomic 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-3 in a match that lasted two hours and 21 minutes.
Nadal, the 14-time Grand Slam champion, will next face fourth-seeded Gael Monfils, who overcame Phillip Kohlschreiber 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.