Rafael Nadal advanced to the Rio Open semi-finals, walking off the court at 3:18am local time on Saturday in Brazil after beating Pablo Cuevas.

With the world number three's match starting past 1am due to each of the previous quarter-finals topping two hours - and Fabio Fognini taking over three hours to progress - Nadal eventually won through to the final four with a 4-6 7-5 6-0 win.

Nadal won in two hours, five minutes, and was in a hurry in the final set - dropping just six points as the Uruguayan had delayed the 14-time major winner's progression by pinching the first set.

Cuevas, whose win over Andy Roddick in Miami 2011 was his only previous over top-10 opposition, was threatening to bag another scalp after breaking Nadal twice in the opening set.

The world number 23 could not get a break-point chance in the second set, but neither could Nadal until the 12th game - and the Mallorcan would level the match on set point number four.

It broke Cuevas' resilience, with Nadal winning the final 11 points of the match.

Italian fourth seed Fognini awaits Nadal next, after needing nine match points to see off Argentine Federico Delbonis 6-4 6-7 (10-12) 7-6 (11-9) in three hours, 12 minutes.

Fognini blew three match points in the second set tie-break, but finally prevailed in the decider - coming from a break of serve down to advance.

Second seed David Ferrer will play Andreas Haider-Maurer in the other semi-final, after respective three-set wins.

Ferrer fought past Juan Monaco 6-3 4-6 6-2, while Haider-Maurer - the unseeded Austrian - was through to his second tour-level semi after downing Brazilian wildcard Joao Souza 7-6 (7-4) 1-6 6-4.

Haider-Maurer previously made the semi-finals of a tour tournament in Vienna 2010, when he lost in the final to compatriot Jurgen Melzer.