The fourth-seed narrowly avoided a third set as he claimed a 6-0, 7-6(9) victory on his second match point after one hour and 41 minutes.

Nadal had raced through the first set, losing just six points on serve, but had to save five set points to battle back from a 6-3 deficit in the second set tie-break.

"Normally in these kind of matches I have more to lose than him, so he's able to play very aggressive," said Nadal, who suffered defeat in five sets against Verdasco at the season’s opening Grand Slam.

"He has amazing shots.

"He gets in a tie-break and you know you're in trouble.

"I feel lucky to win the tie-break, and at the same time I think at the end of the tie-break I played well with not many mistakes and going for the points.

"It is an important victory for me."

Nadal, 29, will continue his quest for a fourth Indian Wells title against 18-year-old German Alexander Zverev, who claimed an impressive 6-2, 6-2 win over France’s Gilles Simon earlier in the day.

The build-up to the competition at Indian Wells was dominated by fresh doping claims after Russia’s five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova announced she had failed a drugs test for meldonium, which was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibited list on January 1, at the Australian Open.

Nadal has constantly faced allegations of taking banned substances during his career, the latest of which came from ex-French Minister for Health and Sport Roselyne Bachelot, who he plans to sue. 

Also through to the last-16 of the men’s singles is world number one Novak Djokovic after the Serb overcame Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-5, 7-5 in the evening session.

Awaiting Djokovic in the next round is Spain’s Feliciano López, the only man to have beaten him this year after benefiting from a retirement in their quarter-final meeting at last month’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Lopez edged Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6(5), 6-7(10), 6-4 in another all-Spanish contest, triumphing after three hours and 16 minutes.

In the women’s draw, two-time champion Serena Williams defeated Ukrainian qualifier Kateryna Bondarenko 6-2, 6-2 to advance to the quarter-finals.

The 34-year-old American now goes on to face title holder Simona Halep of Romania, who was leading 6-3, 1-0 when Czech Republic’s Barbora Strýcová retired from their fourth-round encounter.

World number nine Petra Kvitová of the Czech Republic booked her place in the last-eight after beating the United States’ Nicole Gibbs 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

The two-time Wimbledon champion will bid for a place in the semi-finals against 2014 runner-up Agnieszka Radwańska of Poland, who defeated Serbia’s Jelena Janković 6-3, 6-3.