Summary

  • Rafael Nadal beats American qualifier in five sets

  • Spaniard wins 6-2 3-6 6-7 (2-7) 6-3 7-5

  • Nadal received treatment during third set for illness

  • Match takes four hours and 12 minutes

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  1. Doctor on courtpublished at 09:52 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2015

    Rafael Nadal and a doctorImage source, AP

    Now then.

    Rafael Nadal calls for the doctor. It looks like it is illness rather than injury that is upsetting him.

    He loops a cool towel around his shoulders and necks a couple of painkillers. Will that do the trick?

    The umpire calls time to get the players off their chairs and back on court.

  2. Nadal breakspublished at 09:50 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2015

    Rafael Nadal is having to get inventive.

    The Spaniard slices a forehand into midcourt - inviting Tim Smyczek to generate his own pace rather than just work with what is fired at him.

    It discombobulates the American. Into the net and 30-30.

    Three games to love looks a lot different from 2-1 in the third set.

    Maybe that thought is rumbling around Smyczek's mind as he waits for a ball to drop out of the heavens. His attempted smash is well wide and Nadal has break point at 30-40.

    Smyczek's attempted pass is snagged on the wire on the next point, but Nadal, up at the net, is close enough to react. He pats away a winner and is back on serve.

  3. Postpublished at 09:43 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2015

    Leon Smith
    GB Davis Cup captain on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

    "Smyczek looks confident now. He showed wonderful anticipation to read Nadal's shot on break point and he executed his winning pass really well. He has momentum now."

  4. Smyczek breakspublished at 09:43 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2015

    Rafael NadalImage source, AP

    If he didn't before, Rafael Nadal now knows he is in a right old scrap.

    Fifteen-thirty down, he maxes out his second serve, chases in behind to make the volley and pumps his fist in celebration.

    But Tim Smyczek pops up a racquet head to frying-pan back a Nadal smash at deuce and then leaps into a cross-court backhand to bring up a break point.

    Nadal misses with his first serve. Into a rally. Nadal comes into the net. Smyczek whips a pass. Down it dips and in!

  5. Postpublished at 09:37 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2015

    A double fault from Tim Smyczek - his first of the match - gives Rafael Nadal a chance to work something up from deuce.

    Smyczek suddenly struggling to land his first serve and Nadal murders his second with a crashed return to get to advantage and a break point.

    But Tim Smyczek gets his ducks back in a row. A double-fisted backhand thump, pure power and forget about angles, streaks up the centre of the court to hurry Nadal out of the next point.

    More tidy play from the baseline makes good his escape.

  6. Postpublished at 09:31 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2015

    A bit of a bathroom break for Rafael Nadal. It is a lengthy one as well.

    Maybe he is checking to see if he left his groundstrokes back in the locker somewhere.

    Tim Smyczek has taken the chance to break out a fresh shirt. He has made an attempt to join the fluro trend as well. Maybe a little off target though. Lime green rather than car-park-attendant-tabard green.

  7. Postpublished at 09:30 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2015

    Piers Newbery
    BBC Sport at Melbourne Park

    "You can tell something is brewing when the media seats suddenly fill up. The crowd on Rod Laver Arena is chuntering away at the changeover, pondering whether we could be about to see an almighty upset. Nadal certainly looked less and less comfortable in that set, shaking his head and firing a few words to uncle Toni and co at one point. He lost from a set up against the unheralded Michael Berrer earlier this month and he looks fragile again."

  8. Postpublished at 09:26 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2015

    Leon Smith
    GB Davis Cup captain on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

    "It will be very difficult for Smyczek to maintain that standard and you would expect Rafael to raise his game. But to be fair to Smyczek he came out much more aggressively in that set and even came into the net a few more times.

    "Rafael's level dipped and it'll be interesting to see how he reacts because he's not had a lot of matches recently."

  9. Smyczek wins second setpublished at 09:26 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2015

    Well, well, well.

    Tim Smyczek whips a sizzling forehand down the line to seal the break to love and the set.

    An interesting side note to a Rafael Nadal win or the start of one of those seismic shocks that seem to erupt under Nadal with increasingly regularity?

    Only time will tell.

  10. Postpublished at 09:22 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2015

    Tim Smyczek, something of the star high-school quarterback about him, plays the first four points like he is back home in Florida, teaching a junior hitting partner a lesson.

    Aggressive first serves help him to the first two points before a lovely running winner bump the scoreline along to 40-15.

    Rafael Nadal haggles his way to deuce, but Smyczek is getting the upper hand in rallies from deep.

    The Spaniard has come off the boil just as Smyczek is getting hot.

  11. Smyczek breakspublished at 09:16 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2015

    Rafael Nadal is in a spot of bother. A ballooned forehand from the Spaniard gives Tim Smyczek 0-40 and three break points.

    And the American does not need to play another shot!

    Rafael Nadal dumps an ugly second serve halfway up the net. He trudges to his chair to reflect on an eyesore of a game.

    Tim Smyczek is two holds away from the second set.

  12. Game, set and matchpublished at 09:13 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2015

    Eugenie BouchardImage source, Reuters

    Eugenie Bouchard is through to the third round with a comprehensive win. The Canadian, runner-up at Wimbledon last year, completes her victory over Kiki Bertens, winning 6-0 6-3 in 54 minutes, and celebrates with a selfie or two.

  13. Postpublished at 09:12 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2015

    Tim Smyczek is holding his end up. The American delivers his fourth ace of the match - Nadal yet to register - on his way to 40-0.

    Nadal nibbles a point back, but isn't getting any more.

    This set could be about to get interesting...

  14. Postpublished at 09:09 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2015

    Rafael NadalImage source, AP

    Is this Rafael Nadal getting the engine really chugging?

    He lobs a love service game on the furnace, dominating Tim Smyczek from the back with the ball obeying his thrashing racquet's every whim.

  15. Postpublished at 09:06 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2015

    A chance for Rafael Nadal to put the thumbscrews on the Tim Smyczek serve, but it goes begging.

    The Spaniard did everything right at 40-30 down, working his man into the back corner and coming forward to attack Smyczek's blocked backhand.

    But his volley is just a little too deft for its own good, glancing off his strings and wide.

    Smyczek off the hook and still on serve.

  16. Postpublished at 09:03 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2015

    Tim SmyczekImage source, AP

    Plucky straight-sets loser or something a little more interesting?

    Time for Tim Smyzcek to start sorting where he is going to finish up after this match.

    He might not be a Nick Kyrgios or Lukas Rosol but there might be a set to steal for him here.

    Rafael Nadal holds his serve, but lost two points en route and the American is close to matching him.

  17. Game, set and matchpublished at 08:58 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2015

    Nick KyrgiosImage source, EPA

    The Fanatics are going crazy out on court three because Nick Kyrgios, the big hope of Australian tennis, has seen off 23rd seed Ivo Karlovic in four sets.

    The 19-year-old, playing his last Grand Slam as a teenager, won 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 5-7 6-4 to reach the third round for the first time.

    Latest men's scores and women's scores

  18. Nadal breakspublished at 08:58 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2015

    Rafael NadalImage source, Getty Images

    Lovely stuff from Tim Smyczek. A sound like a bagful of mice as he chases down Rafael Nadal's midcourt pat amid a series of sneaker squeaks and finds an angle for 30-30.

    The American is expending oil fields of energy though to stay with Rafa in this game though. His points are coming at a sky-high price, while Nadal is able to hoover up some bargains from his tired opponent.

    Eventually the exchange rate does for Smyzcek though. Nadal back level.

  19. Smyczek breakspublished at 08:53 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2015

    Rafael Nadal is trying to hug the baseline, but maybe he should have given up some territory there.

    The Spaniard gets all cramped up on the backhand side and plonks his groundstroke into the net to give Tim Smyczek 30-40 and a break point.

    Nadal gives himself the usual inter-point towel down but maybe there was a little grease left on his grip.

    Either way a miserable double fault hands over the early advantage to the American.

  20. Postpublished at 08:49 Greenwich Mean Time 21 January 2015

    Leon Smith
    GB Davis Cup captain on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

    "Smyczek is going to have to take a few more risks than usual. That will be a bit alien to him but he has to do that to get deep into a set and stretch Nadal."