Evening! It's been another long day of brilliance; can Taro Daniel give us one more classic?

So, that's us - good night or good morning, and see you soon.

That was terrific entertainment. Daniel, if he can play like that more often, has a lot of improving to do, and at a set and a break up, he really looked like he might do something. But Nadal finally got his forehand working, and that was that. He plays Mayer next, and will be the better for that test.

Does Nadal think he's home? He trails 0-30, losing the second point after trying a stop-volley from miles back. But yet another forehand reduces the arrears ... only for him to hit one long! Two break points Daniel! The first is almost converted, an attempted pass volleyed into the net, but the second is not, snatched away with a swinging ace out to the backhand. Nadal is nearly there ... and then he's there! But what a match! What a performance from Daniel!

Daniel is tiring, unable to chase down a whipping forehand after working his arse off to stay in the rally prior to it. That puts him 15-30 behind, but he responds well to earn game point only for identical circumstances to present themselves; he can't force himself to hit one more ball and it's deuce. Nadal, on the other hand, is chasing everything, ripping a forehand cross-court from close to the net, and Daniel framing one means he'll be back to serve for the match in two shakes of a lamb's tail.

Goodness me, Nadal is seeing it now, and he starts the game with a wonderful forehand down the line. But the skill was in the feet; he dropped anchor for a split second to see where Daniel was, then hit the ball where he wasn't. It's very quickly 4-2.

Nadal goes long with a backhand down the middle, allowing Nadal 30-all. Key point coming up. And Nadal wins it! He sends Daniel to hither and yon, until an overhit backhand gives him break point. AND DANIEL SERVES A DOUBLE FAULT! OH DEAR! NADAL NEEDS TO WIN THREE SERVICE GAMES TO MOVE INTO ROUND THREE!

This set is now just waiting for Nadal to rip through service games so he can have another shy at breaking. He actually allows Daniel two points this time, but there's never a sense ofaggravation.

Daniel is looking much more solid on serve this set, and nails a backhand down the line at the end of a punishing rally. It gives him 30-15, it's soon 40-15, and a serve out wide followed by a forehand-slice drop-shot underlines to Nadal that he'll have to work for this set.

It's a long time since Daniel made an impression on Nadal's serve - ah, we're just told that he's lost 12 straight points on it - but two big forehands change that; 30-15. Daniel is going after evreything now, but he can't do anything further.

What is wrong with people? That's a rhetorical question, but the stadium has emptied out; people must have late night appointments to do I don't know what. Good, solid hold for Daniel.

Nadal has Daniel on a string here, drawing him to the net, lobbing him, then waiting at the net to stop volley an excellent get. It gives him 30-0, it's quickly 40-0, and two vicious forehands force the set-settling error.

Daniel gets to 40-0 with his second ace of the match, which he follows with a double fault. He could panic when Nadal wins the next point too, but holds it down to remind us that he's still here.

Daniel looks like he'll struggle to snaffle another game. Nadal holds to love.

Nadal's forehand; what else is to say? And Daniel knows it; he's gawn. Still, plenty to build on for him, because for the best part of two sets he played beautifully.

Daniel is not long for this game. Nadal has worked him out, already there waiting every time a shot arrives. Well though he's played, Daniel's preference for cross-court rather than down the line makes him predictable and he's no longer going for lines, hitting down the middle instead - as Nadal was earlier.

It was fun while it lasted, but we're there now: Nadal's forehand has taken the expletive over, securing him a break to love. Not long ago, he was a set and a break down. Now you feel he'll be out of here within the hour.

Nadal leathers a backhand down the line to get 30-0 but is pegged back; he doesn't mind, clinching the game with three rrrridiculous forehands in a row - forced by the excellence of Daniel's de-fense.

An easy service game required here; an easy service game enjoyed here. Daniel holds to love, Nadal having at everything and unable to get the ball into play.

Daniel doesn't make it easy for him but Nadal gets to 30-15 ... then welts a forehand wide. He responds with an ace and a service winner; of course he does! Nadal isn't quite back, but he's getting there.

Nadal takes it to Daniel, running down a forehand for 0-30. So Daniel gathers himself and wins two points in short order before Nadal outthinks him at the net to sneak a point he'd seemingly already lost; he's relishing the fight now! And there it is! He anticipates a backhand into the corner, gets himself ready, and spanks a forehand down the line; he'll now serve to level the match.