World number two Rafael Nadal needed three tiebreakers to outlast fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco and advance to the quarter finals of the Cincinnati Masters tennis tournament.
Nadal won 7-6, 6-7, 7-6 continuing his career domination over Verdasco having won all twelve of their encounters.
Nadal again played with two fingers on his right hand bandaged after he burned them while grabbing a hot plate at a restaurant earlier this week.
Nadal will play American seventh seed Mardy Fish in the quarter finals.
In other men's third round matches Czech Tomas Berdych beat Nicolas Almagro in straight sets fourth seeded Briton Andy Murray had a straight sets win over defeated American Alex Bogomolov.
