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Rafael Nadal knows his path to a 17th grand slam title will only get tougher after a relatively routine run of opponents since his French Open triumph last June when he lines up against Marin Cilic in Tuesday’s Australian Open quarter-final. The 31-year-old Spaniard dropped his first set of the tournament on Sunday before prevailing in a slugfest against Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman, the first true test of Nadal’s famed grit after three straightforward wins in Melbourne. The victory set up a quarter-final clash with world number six and former US Open champion Cilic, Nadal’s first top-10 opponent in his last 16 grand slam matches. “All the matches are tough, and if you are in the quarter-finals of a grand slam, you can’t expect an easy match,” Nadal said after suppressing Schwartzman in seven minutes under four hours. “Against Marin will be a tough one, but at the same time, is a beautiful match to play against a great player. We know each other. We played a couple of times already.” Nadal will take heart from his 5-1 head-to-head record against the Croatian 29-year-old, who won their first meeting in 2009 but has since struggled against the powerful left-hander. Cilic, however, would like to believe he is better equipped to take on top players like Nadal following his 2014 US Open triumph and run to last year’s Wimbledon final. ”Throughout my career, I knew that if I‘m playing well, if I‘m top of my game, that I can challenge most of the guys on the tour,“ he said. ”With the win at the S. Open that, you know, I believe it just became stronger. “I believe in my own game, I believe in what I‘m doing. I think I‘m moving the right direction. You know, it’s obviously a big challenge playing them, but that’s what we also work for on the training.” Third seed Grigor Dimitrov, survivor of a fourth-round thriller against home favourite Nick Kyrgios, will also be in action against the sole surviving Briton, Kyle Edmund. First up, on Rod Laver Arena, women’s fourth seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine will seek to maintain her season-opening winning streak against Elise Mertens in the Belgian’s first grand slam quarter-final appearance. The second-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, who could return to the No 1 ranking with a win here, plays Carla Suarez Navarro later in the evening. With inputs from agencies
Australian Open 2018, quarter-finals, highlights: Marin Cilic beats Rafael Nadal; Caroline Wozniacki wins in three sets
It’s time for the quarter-finals at the Australian Open 2018. Follow our live blog for regular scores and updates from all the matches at Melbourne.
 "Australian Open 2018, quarter-finals, highlights: Marin Cilic beats Rafael Nadal; Caroline Wozniacki wins in three sets")
Thank you so much for following along with our live blog today!
We’ll be back tomorrow for the remaining quarter-finals. Do tune in.
All the results from Day 9:
Men’s singles quarter-finals
Marin Cilic (CRO x6) bt Rafael Nadal (ESP x1) 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 2-0 ret
Kyle Edmund (GBR) bt Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x3) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Women’s singles quarter-finals
Elise Mertens (BEL) bt Elina Svitolina (UKR x4) 6-4, 6-0
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x2) bt Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 6-0, 6-7 (3), 6-2
Caroline Wozniacki is through!
Second seed Caroline Wozniacki withstood a fightback from Spain’s unseeded Carla Suarez Navarro to stutter into the semi-finals of the Australian Open 6-0, 6-7 (3), 6-2 early Wednesday morning.
The Dane, who has never won a Grand Slam title, will face another unseeded player, Elise Mertens of Belgium, on Thursday for a place in the final.
Take a look at the final stats from the Wozniacki-Suarez Navarro match:
Caroline Wozniacki is through to the semi-finals for the first time since 2011 with a 6-0, 6-7(3), 6-2 victory over Carla Suarez Navarro.
The second seed will face Elise Mertens in the last-four.
Wozniacki breaks again!
The second seed jumps ahead to 5-2 and will now serve for a place in the semi-finals.
Wozniacki consolidates her break for a 4-2 lead.
Gutsy hold from the Dane and now she just needs two more games for victory.
Suarez Navarro wrestles out a tough hold to stay in touch at 2-3.
She trails by one break in the deciding set.
Wozniacki gets the break in the 3rd set!
She breaks for 2-1 and then consolidates with a love-hold.
Wozniacki is three games away from a place in the semi-finals.
Take a look at the stats from the second set.
Carla Suarez Navarro saved a match point and stays alive in this quarter-final match!
.@CarlaSuarezNava clinches the second set 7-6(3)!
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 23, 2018
We're heading to set number 3️⃣!#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/Mt5may2WM1
Carla Suarez Navarro forces a decider!
The Spaniard wins the second set 7-3 in the tie-break.
Two more holds and we are into the tie-break in the second set!
Can Carla Suarez Navarro take this to the decider?
Suarez Navarro fends off a match point to hold for 5-5!
Some big-hitting from the Spaniard to make sure she stays alive in this match.
Wozniacki holds at love for 5-4.
She is one game away making the Australian Open semi-finals.
Wozniacki breaks back to level the second set at 4-4.
Suarez Navarro had chances to go up 5-2 but now it’s Wozniacki who’s back in this set at 4-4.
Wozniacki digs deep to hold for 3-4.
Suarez Navarro earned break point at 30-40 after hitting a fantastic passing shot winner, but the Dane finds back-to-back aces to get out of trouble.
That was a massive hold for the second seed!
Suarez Navarro consolidate her break for 4-2. We have a match on our hands.
.@CarlaSuarezNava has settled nicely in the second set. Consolidates the break and leads 4-2. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/SgIzEqWx4N
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 23, 2018
There’s a chance that Caroline Wozniacki could leave Melbourne as the new World No 1.
She needs to reach the final at least, and if she faces Simona Halep for the title, the champion would walk away with the No 1 ranking.
Don’t count Carla Suarez Navarro out yet!
She breaks at love for a 3-2 lead in the second set. Can she hold on to force a decider?
A love-hold for Wozniacki and she makes it 2-1.
Wozniacki is looking to make her second Australian Open semi-final.
Carla Suarez Navarro finally gets on board!
She holds for 1-1 and the crowd gives her a loud cheer.
Seven straight games for Wozniacki and she leads 6-0, 1-0.
Suarez Navarro has had a few chances to break and has pushed her opponent to the limit but has nothing to show for it.
You have to feel for the Spaniard, she is giving it her all but can’t get on board.
Time for some numbers!
Caroline Wozniacki drops a bagel in the first set of her quarter-final against Carla Suarez Navarro.
The first set lasted just 34 minutes.
Wozniacki breaks again and has surged ahead to a 4-0 lead.
It’s all one-way traffic right now.
A long game on Wozniacki’s serve but she manages to hold on for 3-0.
The 2nd seed saved one break point but it was stretched to four deuces.
Caroline Wozniacki breaks at the start of the match for a 2-0 lead
Wozniacki leads the head-to-head 5-2.
Before we move on to the women’s quarter-final, take a look at the stats from Cilic’s win over Nadal.
It’s 11:17pm in Melbourne and Caroline Wozniacki & Carla Suárez Navarro are about to enter the Rod Laver Arena for the last match of the day.
This is yet another late start for the women in this Australian Open.
Don’t forget, we have one more match to go!
Caroline Wozniacki faces Carla Suarez Navarro in the quarter-final.
Such a shame that the match had to end this way.
Unfortunate scenes here with the world No.1 Rafael #Nadal retiring hurt in the QF 😥@Cilic_Marin progresses through to the SF. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/IEjPruzvdi
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 23, 2018
It was painful to watch Nadal hobble between points. But you know he doesn’t pull the plug unless he can’t continue at all.
Rafael Nadal retires for only the second time in 264 grand slam matches. Only previous retirement was vs Andy Murray in quarter-finals of 2010 Australian Open #AusOpen
— Stuart Fraser (@stu_fraser) January 23, 2018
Marin Cilic advances to the semi-finals after Rafael Nadal retires hurt trailing 0-2 in the fifth set.
This is the second time that the Croatian has reached the last-four of the Australian Open.
Nadal has called for the physio again and is getting some treatment for his right leg now.
The Spaniard does not seem fully fit and looks to be struggling.
Marin Cilic has levelled the match by winning the fourth set against top seed Rafael Nadal.
It’s 3-6, 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-2 after 3 hours and 40 minutes.
Stats from the fourth set:
Marin Cilic breaks and wins the fourth set, 6-2.
We are going to a decider in this match.
Cilic holds serve and is one game away from forcing a decider! 5-2.
The Croatian has grown in confidence as this set has gone on.
Nadal is back on court and serving at 1-4.
Just how much is that hip injury going to affect his play? By the looks of it, a lot,
Cilic immediately wins three straight points and brings up break points.
Two poor returns and it’s 30-40. One break point still to go.
Nadal saves all three break points and then holds for 2-4.
His movement does look a little hampered but does well to not get broken again.
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