Nadal's power is impressing one member of our 5 live Sports Extra team...

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A cocktail of Rafael Nadal brilliance and crushing pressure is not to Grigor Dimitrov's liking.

Nadal crunches an astonishing backhand winner down the line with a stroke as short and powerful as a Tyson hook. Break point once more.

And, after not delivering one for the whole of the match so far, Dimitrov comes a double-fault cropper for the second time in this game.

The second set is back on serve.

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Hmmm.

Grigor Dimitrov's coughs up his first double-fault of the match to hand over the first point of the game.

The Bulgarian world number 15 tees off on a mid-court bounce though with a whipcrack of a cross-court winner.

Another nuclear-grade forehand from Dimitrov brings up 30-15.

Third time unlucky though as he buries another attempted winner into the gauze. 30-30.

These are big points now. No margin for error.

Nadal presses Dimitrov wide to force break point, Dimitrov gobbles up another runt of a return from Nadal - under-powered and short of length - to see it off.

Deuce.

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Rafael Nadal pings down a precision bomb of a serve for 40-15.

Another ace wraps up the game as we speed towards the business end of the set.

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Rafael Nadal comes biting back straight away, funneling some juggernaut forehand traffic down onto Grigor Dimitrov's backhand to force the mistake and 15-30.

Dimitrov's serving though has been *insert fire emoji here* though.

Five aces, 68% of first serves in and 76% of points won behind it.

Two absolute brutes turn around the game and he is home and hosed.

The group of fans wearing Bulgaria shirts start their lowing chant of Dimitrov's name once again.

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Grigor Dimitrov has turned full matador.

Flashing forehands run Rafa out of town for the first two points for 0-30.

As Nadal bounces the life out of the ball pre-serve, umpire Pascal Maria warns him over time. Dani Vallverdu applauds, Nadal scowls.

Nadal stretched out of shape once again. Three break points at 0-40.

Nadal plants a forehand between the trams and is broken to love. 

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Grigor Dimitrov's mindset is still right, all aggression and attack and not falling back on defensive skills that will be overwhelmed by Nadal's power.

He comes forward, as bold as a tennising Zorro, to slap a drive volley out of the air and sweep up the game to 30.

Over to you Rafa.

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Sarah Alonze: Nadal is a man on a mission right now. Hope Federer is watching this - is the Rafa of old back?

John McEnerney: Rafa will make light work of Dimitrov. He may be losing his hair but he's still got steely determination and mental strength like no other.

Samuel Soladoye: Lesson one - take your chances. Two break points apiece for Rafael Nadal and Grigor Dimitrov in the first set; the former took one.  

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Before the point at 15-15, Dimitrov's coach Dani Vallverdu makes a face at umpire Pascal Maria, suggesting that Rafael Nadal is taking a little too long over his serve. He's probably right.

He doesn't for the next one though. Grigor Dimitrov is run ragged, chasing from corner to corner, stretching every sinew to keep the ball in play before finally succumbing for 30-15.

A Nadal double fault gives Dimitrov a sniff at 40-30, but a body serve clams up the Bulgarian on the next point and the chance is gone.

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Grigor Dimitrov gobbles up a Rafael Nadal forehand that drops short of a full length and cracks it away for a winner and 30-15.

Another mid-court bounce, a little higher this time, but the same result. Drilled with power and precision down the line by Dimitrov for 40-15.

A punchy serve out wide is out of Nadal's range and that's the game.

All very well, but Dimitrov has to start making an impression on the Nadal serve.

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Rafa's Spanish amigo Fernando Verdasco is not shy in showing where his loyalties lie...

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Russell Fuller
BBC tennis correspondent on Radio 5 live sports extra

Nadal is playing like someone who can win a Grand Slam again - that's something we've not been able to say for a while.

Rafael Nadal comes darting to the net with Michael Flatley-level footwork to volley away a winner after losing the first point of the game.

The serve down the middle does the damage as Nadal advances to 40-15. Two set points.

He only needs the one. A crafty wrong-footing volley against the grain has Dimitrov trudging to his stool.

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Radal Nadal misses by a whisker with a worldie of a backhand pass. That would have been one of the shots of the tournament with Grigor Dimitrov left helpless at the net.

Dimitrov rumbles on to 40-0, inexplicably volleys wide with Nadal not even in the frame, but holds with a rooster-booster of a serve on the next point.

Rafael Nadal to serve for the set next.

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After offering up a couple of break points in the opening game, Rafael Nadal's serve now looks locked down tight as Fort Knox.

Another hold to love. And Nadal is a game away from the first set.

Rod Laver is in the house by the way, looking over his arena like an ageing Roman emperor.

He could be about to give the thumbs down to Grigor.

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Mike Dickson
Daily Mail tennis correspondent on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

You kind of think the damage has been done in this set. Dimitrov has got to find a way to neutralise the forehand of Nadal.

Grigor Dimitrov needs to find a response.

That drilled forehand winner down the line for 40-0 is a fairly eloquent one.

Rafael Nadal nibbles back one point, but Dimitrov flattens out his backhand and cracks away another winner.

Strong stuff. Time to see if he can unpick the Nadal serve.

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A hold to love and the first set might be being whipped from underneath Grigor Dimitrov after a good start to the match by Nadal.

By the way, if Nadal does lift the title on Sunday he will become the first man in the Open Era – and only the third man in history – to win each of the four Grand Slam titles twice. 

Roy Emerson and Rod Laver are the others.

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Oh my.

The lesser-celebrated Rafael Nadal backhand punches a knockout winner across court. That fair sizzled through for 15-30.

Dimitrov twangs into the net to offer up two break points.

A ripped serve down the middle soaks up the first.

Dimitrov bluffs hard on the second, coming rushing to the net behind a nothing-much approach, but Nadal calls it.

Dimitrov has too much court to cover and can only get frame to Nadal's pass.

First blood to el toro, rather than the bullfighter.

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BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

Quad doubles winner Andy Lapthorne: "Dimitrov is having to work so hard to win the points and trying to win three sets off Rafa like that is going to be very difficult. Hopefully he can earn some cheap points on his serve otherwise it's going to be very tough."