Don't expect AM to win, frankly - just hope he shows what he can do on a big stage, instead of freezing (unlikely) or blowing a fuse about something daft (not impossible).

0-0...

Warming up... Good thing this isn't a boxing match, was thinking even before BBC commentators made the boxing comparison how much bigger Nadal looked. Two centimetres shorter, 17kg heavier!

Looks like a man warming up against a boy. Thankfully Andy does not look as scrawny as he did last year.

I fully expect Nadal's greater experience and strength to prevail here. I hope Andy plays a good game - he has made his seeding and from now on it is all bunce. The pressure should be on Nadal.

COME ON MURRAY

Nadal holds to love. Easy.

1-0

Phew, Murray just got his first point.

Nice s&v point by Andy to go 30.15 there

Murray holds to 30, good rallying, couple of dodgy shot choices

1-1

1 game all - murray wins his serve to 30 with a great forehand winner down the line.

Agree with you Barry...Come on Murray..Even if I do not se him winning this match
at least I hope he will provide a good fight

1-1 Nadal on serve :rolleyes:

Thanks for the update Barry BTW :ok:

Comfortable hold for Nadal.
2-1

Murray looks as though he can get the serve back well, but he still has not put any pressure on the Nadal serve yet.

Murray mixing it up with some s&v too - good stuff

Murray holds, 2-2. Good points, good serve and volleying (bit scary!)

Message from Brad to Murray:

S&V going nicely - keep him guessing.

Please, drop that ****ing attempt at a drop shot...

I'm not a huge fan of Rafa but I'm definitely supporting him 100% here. ;)

He holds to go 3-2 up!

Nadal serve looks impregnable at the moment - Murray has to find a way out of it.

Murray is being taken to 30 points each game on his own serve.

Early days yet, but Nadal is looking like the boss.

Looking like the boss indeed!.

murra holds to tie things at 3-3

My broadband feed must be delayed - you posted that while it was still deuce!

Im at the mercy of this f***ing dismal cricket here in the office.Its such a dreary match but because its South Africa and we being SouthAfircan,Im being out voted.

I will hopefully get to watch that match!

Now 4-3 to Nadal.

Murray won from deuce to go to 3-3, Nadal replied with a love game.

Now we are getting to the business end of the set, we will see if Nadal can turn his generally more dominant play into a break. Pressure must be mounting on Murray

I sympathise, I can only watch this because I'm at home - our sports desk will watch ANY football rather than tennis!

Hold to love for Murray

4-4

4-4 - really solid hold to love from Murray. He is going the net a fair bit and Nadal has not found his range on the passing shots.

Let's hope it's time for a momentum shift.

I'm following from the Australian open website.
Where are u getting your feed from?

BBC feed. Sound sometimes gets a couple of seconds ahead of pictures, too, which is kind of weird.

Wishful thinking - am I detecting increasing pressure on the Nadal 2nd serve?...

Nadal manages to hold and now Murray must hold or the set is lost

Nadal holds from deuce, but I think he was really relying on his first serve to win him the points in that game.

Hopefully that is a good sign.

Next one is a big game - Andy must hold to stay in the set and give himself another go at Nadal's serve when the pressure might be up a bit.

He holds to 15 - two events in that game. (1) a lucky net cord for Murray (2) the first point I have seen that he won with a drop shot, and then he was lucky.

Now, let's see how nadal's serve holds up...

Murray holds.
5-5

30-15 - two easy first serve points, loses the rally he started with his 2nd...

6-5 to Rafa!
I hope he can break here and take the set! B)

Nadal holds
6-5

Felt like a missed opportunity. nadal 2nd serve at 30-15, Murray doing well in the rally before he drops another one short and Nadal gets the initiative before winning another 1st serve point comfortably at 40-15.

Murray can do this if he mops up nearly every 2nd serve point and gets Nadal fretting over the need to get his 1st serve in.

In other words, he can do this if he plays out of his skin for 2-3 hrs

Does it look pretty evenly matched?

Set point saved by Murray!

One set point saved, convincingly, with a good serve and a firm volley.

good hold - 6-6

Tiebreak!

Nadal has the edge I think but not enough to get through so far.

To a tiebreak we go!

Mini-break in the tie-break for Murray. He was in control in that rally.