Can Rafa Nadal get through to the Australian Open semi-finals for the seventh time in his career? The quarter-final has proved to be his undoing in Melbourne on no less than five occasions. Dominic Thiem awaits and it's just their second meeting off their mutually preferred surface of clay.

Dominic Thiem gets the win, he most probably deserves. Nadal had fought back valiantly after losing the first two sets but you have to salute Thiem's mentality after getting broken when serving for the win, then missing two match points in the fourth-set tiebreaker.

It's the Austrian's first win over Nadal at a Slam and he has a great chance of making the final here.

Third time's the charm! Thiem misses his first serve but gets his second in play. They trade ground strokes, and Nadal nets a forehand. Thiem v Zverev for a place in the final and Nadal's sixth career quarter-final exit at the Australian Open.

What. A. Backhand. Thiem brings up his third match point but a brilliant stroke, which just about kisses the top of the net, is unbeatable. Take three...

Thiem finds a big serve out wide which Nadal can only put into the net. It's two match points, at last and the noise in the Rod Laver Arena gets louder. He's missed the first one - he had an easy shot to put away but blasts a forehand into the net. One match point to go...

Nadal forces him way behind the baseline and Thiem plays a defensive lob. It's called in but Nadal leaves it and challenges. It's out... He survies. 6-6 in the breaker.

Nadal plays a fantastic point, fighting for every ball but ultimately comes up short as a cute backhand slice from Thiem proves to be too much for him. 4-2 to Thiem. The Austrian falls on his backside in the next rally but somehow recovers to get back into the rally and forces Nadal to send one wide. 5-2.

Nadal wins his first two points on serve of the breaker. It's 5-4 and it's on Thiem's racquet. But we know what happened last time...

Thiem makes a fine start to the tiebreaker, getting the early minibreak as Nadal misses his first serve and is forced into a long rally. But then a terrible drop shot surrenders his advantage and a backhand that goes long puts Nadal 2-1 up.

Just when it looks as though the Spaniard could motor, a backhand of his own goes long and a forehand goes into the net. After five points, none has gone with serve. 3-2 to Thiem with a minibreak.

Nadal kicks off this crunch game with a brilliant volley, winning a point that he had no right to win after a fine pass from Thiem. Good serving from the Austrian brings him back to 30-15, though. A net cord (yes, another one) in an even rally gives him two points to take it to a breaker. Rafa saves the first one with a forehand down the line but a return from Nadal goes just long. Into the third tiebreaker of the match!

Nadal holds but it's a much more encouraging game from a Thiem perspective as he wins a brilliant point to make to 40-30. A fine serve out wide seals the hold and Thiem will be serving to stay in the fourth set, having been on the verge of victory just minutes ago. How will that missed opportunity affect him?

Thiem starts in style, a forehand that Nadal only just gets back in play, setting him up for an easy put-away. He then pushes a forehand long... is he getting tight? The evidence would suggest he is as he sends down a double fault and then nets a forehand. It's two break back points for Nadal and he's barely had to play a stroke! The first is saved with an ace but then he sends a forehand well into the tramlines. NADAL BREAKS BACK!

Nadal asks Thiem to serve it out. Thiem makes him work to do it, though, hurrying him into two forehand errors. Nadal holds to 30 and he'll be serving for his first Slam win over Nadal.

Thiem kicks off his game with an ace but then he's guilty of a bit of a brainfade, letting Nadal off the hook with a lame drop shot which is lapped up. He goes 30-15 up with a powerful winner, then has two game points when Nadal nets a backhand. Then he finds the line with a forehand which is called out, but successfully challenged. Not much in the way of nerves to speak of.

Thiem begins the game with another stroke of luck - a net cord which diverted a wide stroke just inside the line. Nadal grimaces but takes it on the chin. There's no luck about the next point, though, as the Austrian pushes his opponent well behind the baseline. Nadal battles his way back to 40-30, though, and seals a big hold with a big serve. He's still in this set.

Any way back for Nadal? Not on the evidence of this game. Thiem starts by smashing Nadal a huge distance behind the baseline and though Nadal got back on terms, a forehand down the line, an unreturnable serve and an ace seal the hold. Two games away...

It looks as though the rub of the green is going against Nadal as a net cord wins Thiem the first point of his next service game. Some fine serving gets him to 40-15, only for a double fault to give the Austrian a sniff. Another net cord then lets Thiem back into the rally but Nadal wins the point with a fine forehand.

Thiem skips to 30-0 but Nadal reminds everyone of his fighting qualities by hitting his way through the Austrian. A mishit from Nadal brings a cheer from the as the chair umpire pulls off a catch that the onlooking Steve Smith would be proud of. An ace wraps up the Thiem hold.

THIEM BREAKS! The forehand begins to work again for Thiem, as he draws the error from Nadal to get to 30-40. Nadal is well in the rally but could be accused of trying to be too clever as he elects to go crosscourt, when the open court was down the line. Despite being a little wrong-footed, Thiem gets involved in the rally and when Rafa shanks a forehand, the Austrian has the break. Four service holds from the semi-final...

Nadal is now beginning to exert further pressure on Thiem’s serve, and the Spaniard has two break points after a very loose drop shot from Thiem. The Austrian defends them both, but a netted forehand presents Nadal with another break opportunity. Yet again Thiem defends it, this time with a blistering forehand. Rafa tries to challenge the next winner as Thiem gets to game point but the umpire tells him it is too late – cue some gesticulating from Nadal, who then surrenders the game after a vicious backhand from Thiem.

Nadal comes out on top of a brutal baseline exchange to lead 15-0 and the Spaniard holds to 30 when Thiem goes long with a forehand. Nadal looking to be in the better physical shape as things stand.

The crowd goes wild as Nadal goes 0-30 up on the Thiem serve. He's only two points away from winning the set! An ace halves the deficit but then a backhand into the net gives the Spaniard two set points. A return goes long to save the first but another netted backhand gives Rafa the set. Is the comeback on?

There's a glimpse of an opening for Thiem as he wins the first point of the game but Nadal fights back in typical fashion and holds to 15. Thiem to serve to stay in it...