British number two Dan Evans pushed Spanish great Rafael Nadal in their first meeting before going down in straight sets at the Rogers Cup.

Evans, 29, lost 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 in a second-round match disrupted by rain in Montreal.

Qualifier Evans could not convert two set points before losing the tight opener, Nadal upping his game at the start of the second to take control.

Top seed and champion Nadal faces Guido Pella in the last 16.

Frenchman Richard Gasquet upset Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori 6-7 (6-8) 6-2 7-6 (7-4) while Croatian 14th seed Marin Cilic was a 6-3 6-4 winner over Australia’s John Millman and Wimbledon semi-finalist Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain beat Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman 6-2 7-5.

Nadal overcomes slow start to progress

Eighteen-time Grand Slam winner Nadal – playing his first match since losing to Roger Federer in the Wimbledon semi-finals last month – struggled to cope with the Briton’s aggressive and accurate approach play in an entertaining first set.

Evans has moved to the cusp of the world’s top 50 after an impressive year which has seen him rise from 190th to 53rd, proving again in Montreal against Nadal he has the ability to cause problems for the top players.

The Briton made the ideal start by breaking 33-year-old Nadal’s serve in the first game of the match and holding to love in the next, before the world number two fought back to 3-3 and go on to claim two set points at 5-4.

Evans boldly employed serve and volley tactics to save both and, after a rain delay lasting almost half an hour, dominated the early part of the tie-break to earn two set points.

But Nadal responded with a forehand winner and a smart second serve to save both, carrying on his momentum to claim the opener.

Nadal had lost only one of his previous 75 matches after winning the first set – against Nick Kyrgios in Acapulco this year – and it looked ominous when he broke Evans in the first game of the second set.

A second, lengthier rain delay disrupted the Spaniard as he allowed Evans to break back in the first game after the resumption, but a break of the Briton’s next service game proved decisive as Nadal wrapped up victory.

• Live scores, schedule and results
• Alerts: Get tennis news sent to your phone