Nadal’s progress through the draw had been serene until he faced Diego Schwartzman in the fourth round, the plucky Argentinian taking the second set, the first time the No 1 seed had had his nose bloodied at the Australian Open this year.
But the Spaniard battled through the match, spending nearly four hours on court, a test he said he needed to prove to himself his knee was up to the challenge of a long match.
Cilic also dropped a set in the previous round, losing a first-set tie-break to No 10 seed Pablo Carreno Busta, but then finding his form to win through in four.
The Croatian reached the Wimbledon final and hit a career-high No 4 in the world in a stellar 2017 – he will now look to return to the last four in Australia for the first time in eight years.
Express Sport will bring you all the latest action from Melbourne as it happens.
Rafael Nadal vs Marin Cilic LIVE
(* denotes next to serve)
Nadal 6-3, 3-6, 4-3 Cilic*
10.35am: Cilic is right in this. Nadal has to save two more break points and pumps the fist both times. Eventually, he gets over the line to keep the set on serve but boy, did he have to work for it. Match on a knife edge right now. Third-set tie-break would be agonisingly tense…
10.20am: This is a real struggle on the inside, like a boxing match where both men are trying to wear the other down. Just one break point in the set so far, on the Nadal serve at 1-1, but he resisted. Delicately poised this one.
9.55am: What a turnaround. Cilic wins four games on the spin to take the second set and level things up. Getting the unforced error count down has been a part of it, but also hanging tough with Nadal. The Spaniard hit 17 winners in the opening set – there were just seven to Cilic’s 16.
9.45am: Hello? Cilic is working so very hard and he immediately breaks back and holds to love. A real power play from Cilic!
9.35am: Bit of an implosion from Cilic, perhaps feeling the relentless pressure of Nadal. The Croatian double-faults and finds himself two break points, only to be warned for a time violation. He is incredulous, and promptly double-faults again to lose the game. Nadal right in the driving seat now.
Cilic is still talking to the umpire about that time violation.
9.20am: Cilic started this match as a 3/1 underdog, and he’s now out to 10/1 after losing that first set. And you can see why as Nadal forces his first break point of the second set, jumping all over a mis-hit from Cilic to make it 30-40. The taller man saves it at the net and goes on to find a hold but it is not easy work for the world No 6 at the moment.
9am: Nadal has to save a break point but after he does, he makes more inroads into the Cilic serve, going 0-40 up in a matter of moments. He makes the second chance count but in the next game Cilic saves the first set point with a classic forehand winner and the second by stepping into the court and battering a backhand.
But Nadal’s hitting is too much and he finds a brilliant forehand winner to take the set after 54 minutes.
8.45am: A gruelling service hold for Cilic, who has to save five break points in the sixth game of the match. The Croatian manages it though, which should give him some confidence. Nadal yet to hit top gear but he is about to depress the clutch and do so I think…
8.30am: Intriguing start. Nadal is employing his “stand three miles behind the baseline on first serve” tactic which tends to force big servers forward – but Cilic hates it at the net and seems happy to set back. That said, shorter points will favour the Croatian and the big forehand his starting to fire. On serve after four games though.
8.15am: Play is underway on Rod Laver Arena and Nadal will serve first.
8am: The players are about to head out on court so we are moments away. In terms of British hopes, I think we want a six-hour five-setter don’t we? Yes, I think we do.
7.40am: Kyle. Edmund. That’s probably all you’ve been able to think about waking up this morning. He has knocked out Grigor Dimitrov in four sets and is into a first ever Grand Slam semi-final. That really is a heck of a story.
The winner of this match will be his opponent, and it is an intriguing match-up. When these two met here in the last 16 seven years ago, Nadal romped through in straight sets, and he hasn’t lost to the Croatian since, with four more wins and just one set lost.
Nadal favourite? Yes. Should he cruise through? Perhaps not. 8am start scheduled here.