US Open 2018: Rafael Nadal through after triumphing in longest match of the tournament

We hardly needed confirmation of the fact, but Rafael Nadal underlined at the US Open here on Friday why he remains the greatest entertainer in modern tennis. In the longest match of the tournament so far, Nadal reached the fourth round by beating Russia’s Karen Khachanov 5-7, 7-5, 7-6, 7-6 in a contest full of breath-taking rallies and edge-of-the-seat moments after four hours and 23 minutes.

Roger Federer may be the greatest player in history, but not even the 20-times Grand Slam champion can generate excitement in the way that Nadal has done for the best part of 15 years.

In his pink sleeveless top, with muscles rippling and sweat pouring down him, this might have been the teenage Nadal of years gone by. The thinning hair is just about the only physical indication that the Spaniard is now 32, though the passing years are also reflected in his tennis.

Nadal is a more aggressive player these days than the counter-attacking youngster who used to rely on his remarkable stamina, strength and athleticism to wear down opponents. He may make more mistakes than he used to – and admitted that he had been some way below his best in this match - but the upside is that he goes for his shots more often and hits more spectacular winners.

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Khachanov contributed much to a contest full of superb shot-making and stunning athleticism that had spectators in Arthur Ashe Stadium regularly on their feet. The world No 26 used every inch of his 6ft 6in frame to hit thunderous serves and ground strokes.

In the past the 22-year-old Russian has sometimes been too impetuous in his quest to finish off points, but here he showed an admirable willingness to be patient and wait for his opportunity. He regularly worked himself into good positions with the quality of his ground strokes and rally construction before coming into the net to hit sound winning volleys.

In Nadal, however, Khachanov was facing perhaps the greatest competitor in the history of this sport. The Spaniard never knows when he is beaten, as he showed when breaking Khachanov as the Russian served for a two-sets lead.

At that stage there had been doubts about Nadal’s fitness. He had his right knee strapped at the end of the first set – a regular sight in the past but something we have not seen for a while – and his repeated failure to convert break points raised doubts as to whether he might be struggling. By the end, nevertheless, the world No 1’s strength and willpower looked as formidable as ever.

Nadal did not want to go into any details about his knees, but said he would be “100 per cent” for the next round. He said the match had been demanding both physically and mentally. “That’s why we practise every day, to play these kind of matches in a great atmosphere in front of an amazing crowd,” he said.

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“I'm happy with the way I played the tough moments. I think my fighting spirit was good. Without playing at my highest level, it was a great victory against a very tough opponent. I think it was a great show, great entertainment. I think the crowd enjoyed it.

“Even if it was not my best match, it still felt good to have the chance to have this connection with the crowd here in Ashe again. I work every day for this.”

Nadal had started slowly, dropping serve in the third game as Khachanov broke to 15 with some typically aggressive ground strokes. When the Spaniard broke back for 4-4 with a thumping inside-out forehand winner he celebrated with a vigorous bout of fist-pumping.

At 5-5, however, Khachanov broke again. Nadal’s missed forehand took the Russian to break point, which he converted by chasing down a poor drop shot and hitting a backhand pass winner down the line. Nadal saved three break points in thrilling fashion when Khachanov served for the opening set but could do nothing about the fourth as the Russian hit an ace.

Just as he had in the first set, Khachanov broke serve in the third game of the second. Nadal broke back for 4-4, but then played a poor game to drop his serve again, giving Khachanov the chance to serve for a two-set lead. The Russian stuttered again, however, and after Nadal had broken back for 5-5 the players took a 12-minute break while the roof was closed because of rain.

The interruption proved the turning point of the whole match. Khachanov, serving at 5-6 and 40-15, hit two successive double faults and at deuce Nadal struck a stunning forehand winner down the line before forcing his opponent into a volley error.

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There were no breaks of serve in the third set. Nadal squandered three set points from 6-3 in the tie-break, but at 7-7 Khachanov double-faulted and then lost an extraordinary 39-shot rally.

In the fourth set it was Nadal’s turn not to serve out, Khachanov breaking to love to level at 5-5. The Russian netted a forehand on set point in the following game and was never in contention in the tie-break, which Nadal won 7-3 to earn a fourth-round meeting with Nikoloz Basilashvili.

When Khachanov left the court, Nadal joined in the applause. “He's a great player,” the Spaniard said afterwards. “I really see him winning a lot of matches in his tennis career. He has a great future to come.

“He had a great attitude on court during the whole time, playing aggressive, playing great tennis, having some mistakes at some important moments, too, but without saying a bad word. That's a great thing for tennis, and that's a great thing for him.”

Khachanov said he had given everything in the match. “I'm proud of myself,” he said. “Big respect to Rafa. That's why he's No 1 in the world."