Rafael Nadal said he played his best set of the tournament in beating old nemesis Fabio Fognini at the Australian Open Monday as the world No 2 fights back to fitness from a back injury.
The Spaniard moved into his 43rd Grand Slam quarter-final with his 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win on Rod Laver Arena, which set up a clash with fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Nadal has been struggling with lower back tightness since arriving in Australia, but said he was starting to increase his workload as the problem gets better.
“I played first set, without a doubt, my best level in the tournament,” said Nadal, who is chasing his 21st major title and sole ownership of the men’s record, which he currently shares with Federer.
“Well, it’s normal, too, because I was able to practise for two days in a row. That makes an important difference. My physical condition needs to keep improving, but I think this match helps, too.
“I was not able to practise the proper way for the last 19 days,” he…