"I'd prefer to come back at 100% rather than returning too early," the Frenchman said, explaining his decision to skip the Australian swing.

“This is my best match of all time,” he said of his 7-6 (3), 7-6 (4), 2-6, 0-6, 6-4 effort.

The Spaniard's three-set win in the pair's first meeting sparked the surge that ultimately took him back to No. 1.