Night 5 of Australian Open 2019, and first match of the session on Rod Laver Arena was:
Alex de Minaur (27) (AUS) v Rafa Nadal (2) (ESP)
Nadal opened up first with his serve. Four Australian errors and an easy hold. 1-0 Nadal.
Five errors - three from de Minaur - and break point. Saved with a Spanish mishit. Nadal drop shot set up second break chance. Saved. Game point after Nadal error. Great rally and deuce after Nadal backhand winner. Double fault and another break point. Saved and fourth deuce. Yet another break chance. Forehand forced error and deuce. Game point after Nadal unforced error. Serve held and 1-1.
Nadal double fault 15-15. A second double fault 15-30. de Minaur error 30-30. Forehand forced error and break point. Saved. Ace and game point. Nadal wild forehand and deuce. Game point. de Minaur forehand winner and deuce. Nadal forehand winner and he eventually held for 2-1.
Two Nadal forehand winners in a break of the de Minaur serve. 3-1.
Nadal consolidated, an ace to finish. 4-1. A Spanish lob winner and de Minaur down 15-30. An ace for 30-30. A Nadal overhead and break point. The double break and Nadal led 5-1.
Serving for the set, Nadal volley winner 30-15. Forehand winner down the line and two set points. One needed and Nadal led 6-1.
At 30-30 in opening game of set two, Nadal hit a forehand winner to gain break point. Saved with Australian backhand winner. Second break point saved. Third break chance also saved. Big serve and game point. Deuce again. More game points wasted. Forehand winner from de Minaur, and incredible Nadal forehand pass. Deuce. Break point after Nadal volley winner. Saved. de Minaur backhand winner. Australian error and deuce. de Minaur backhand netted. Break point. Serve lost and Nadal led 1-0.
Quick consolidation by Nadal for 2-0.
de Minaur forehand winner and two game points. He held serve for the first time since game two of set one, but trailed 1-2.
Nadal held for 3-1. de Minaur in trouble after a double fault left him facing three break points. The double break arrived, Nadal ahead 4-1.
Two Nadal forehand winners made up for a double fault, and he led 5-1.
de Minaur hit two forehand winners and an ace to make it 2-5.
Nadal down 15-30 serving for the set. He forced a backhand error and 30-30. A break chance was lost with an unforced error, but de Minaur had another chance. That also went begging. Break point number three evaporated and Nadal had set point following a winning forehand.
The set went to Spain 6-2
To this stage, Nadal had won 80% of points on his first serve, and hit 26 winners.
Nadal broke the Australian in the opening game of set three to lead 1-0.
Behind 0-30, Nadal won the remaining points to hold. 2-0. de Minaur, with backhand winner and ace, held on for 1-2.
Nadal double faulted, but was faultless elsewhere, and he moved ahead 3-1. de Minaur survived deuce and trailed 2-3. All too swiftly, Nadal produced a love game and had a 4-2 advantage.
Another de Minaur service game spent time at deuce before the Australian backhand clinched it. 3-4.
Nadal held serve for the loss of just a single point, the highlight a winning forehand. 5-3.
de Minaur held to love, and forced Nadal to serve for the match.
Three match points after two forehand winners. One saved. And a second with a double fault. Deuce after a Spanish unforced error. Ace and a fourth match point. Saved with a de Minaur forehand winner.
Another match point. Another de Minaur forehand winner and deuce.
On the sixth match point the match ended.
Rafa Nadal proved too good, winning 6-1 6-2 6-4, and would play Tomas Berdych in the round of sixteen.
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