Abu Dhabi: Spanish World No. 1 Rafael Nadal rallied for a narrow 6-7 (3-7), 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) victory over Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in the UAE capital.

The match between two players, who will be among the shortlist of favourites at next month's Australian Open, fully lived up to the expectations. Nadal took a service-break lead at 5-4, but faltered when trying to serve out the first set and then lost the tiebreaker on Saturday, reports Efe news.