Rafael Nadal battled to victory over three hours on the court against Pedro Cachin at the Madrid Open on Monday to seal a 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 win and reach the last 16.

The former world number one looked back to his best as he cruised through the opening set but was pushed hard in the second by Cachin.

Nadal came from behind to level at 5-5, but Cachin eventually sealed the set on his third set point.

The Spaniard then rallied in the third set, cutting down on his errors to regain control and advance to the fourth round at a tour-level event for the first time since 2022.

Nadal is one step away from booking his place in a 10th consecutive quarter-final in Madrid and will face Jiri Lehecka on Tuesday in the next round after the 30th seed overcame Brazilian qualifier Thiago Monteiro in two sets.

Data Debrief: Nadal finds his rhythm

Rafael Nadal has won three consecutive matches on the ATP Tour after 602 days. He last did so at the US Open 2022.

With his victory against World No. 91 Cachin, Nadal improved his clay-court record against players outside the Top 50 in the ATP Rankings to 162-1 since 2005.