5-3 - Nadal wins the break, but now Verdasco has an injury timeout as his leg is cramping badly. His calves are heavily strapped anyway, and it seems that he's in great pain.

4-3 - Nadal is much less troubled by Verdasco in his next game, holding for the loss of a couple of points - a relief after the epic battles he's fought to win his previous two service games.

- - Verdasco pulls out a sublime winner down the left to go to 30-0 on his own serve.

3-2 - Verdasco misses out on another break point as a shot down the line misses by inches, and then Nadal clears things up a couple of points later as Verdasco's efforts disappear with a long shot over the baseline.

- - Brilliant tennis from Verdasco, charging to the net to meet Nadal's drop-shot in what is seemingly a lost cause - but he gets to the ball and flips a winner across the court! 0-30!

2-1 - Nadal fights back into the game to get to 30-30 but then nets very uncharacteristically - yet Verdasco then does the same twice. Advantage Nadal...

2-1 - Pure genius from Nadal, time and again getting balls back over the net that he had no right to be returning, then pulling out an incredible dipping crosscourt forehand to finish off the game. He really is awesomely good.

1-1 - Nadal looks like he's about to win a break point with a backhand passing shot, but mishits slightly and it ends up in the net. Verdasco domiantes the next point, and that's a vital service hold just when he needed it.

1-0 - Nadal hangs on grimly, and eventually gets over the line as Verdasco goes for the drop-shot just over the net. That'll be a cruel blow, Verdasco will know that he won't get many chances like that against the world number one.

- - Nadal nails a first serve to save the break point, but Verdasco earns another with a powerful forehand right to the corner that Nadal can't reach even though he's right there next to it.

- - Verdasco needs to make something happen now - and he starts the second set well, pushing Nadal to 30-30 with a great volley after a charge to the net.

- - Verdasco nets as Nadal drives him deep into the corner - and it's 0-40... this looks like the set for the world number one.

5-3 - Nadal anticipates Verdasco's cross-court forehand and returns with one of his own at 40-0, but it goes long - yet Verdasco makes the error on the next point, and it's 5-3.

4-3 - Nadal takes the first of the two chances, and goes a break up - but the way these two are going at it, anything could still happen...

- - A big serve from Verdasco and he seems to be in control of the point, but Nadal pulls out a brilliant lob - and Verdasco is 0-30 down on serve.

- - Verdasco tries the same audacious shot again, but it doesn't work this time: 30-30.

2-3 - Verdasco is on fire with a stunning, dipping cross-court winner that gives Rafa no chance to get to 40-15, then finishes off a sublime game with a dismissive smash at the net. He just does not look initimidated by the fact that Nadal is supposed to be unbeatable!

- - Verdasco looks in great touch at 15-30 on the Nadal serve, keeping the world number one deep behind the line with quality shotmaking. But as he runs in for the kill, he misses his volley, dinking it into the net! And after all that hard work! It's 30-30.

- - Verdasco looks to be holding easily after racing to 40-0, but a double-fault and a forehand sliced too wide gives Nadal something to shoot at. 40-30.

- - Perfect reply from Verdasco, who pulls out a brilliant winner, watches Nadal go long, and then hits a great angled volley from the net to earn three break points!

- - It's a cagey opening game that stumbles to 30-30 - but then Nadal fires a forehand winner deep to the left corner that Verdasco just can't get to. Break point!

- - The players are warming up in Rome for what should be a cracker: Nadal and Verdasco have had some cracking matches this year.