He only needs one chance.

Rafael Nadal gets the first break of the match as Stefanos Tsitsipas cracks a forehand into the cord.

Another wonderful return from wide out from Rafael Nadal, dipping narrowly over the tape and with Stefanos Tsitsipas coming in for the serve and volley, he can't pick it up.

Break point Nadal.

A mini fist-pump from the fifth seed as he cleans up a short ball from Rafael Nadal. But the next return is past him in a flash - that Nadal backhand is like a cannon. 30-30.

Tsitsipas calls the attention of a steward to get rid of a dirty mark on the baseline - Nadal looks on perplexed from the other end.

The Greek wriggles his way to the tape and slams the new ball into the blue tarmac, watching it leap up and over Nadal for 15-0.

Andrew Castle
BBC Sport tennis commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

That's beautiful tennis! What a crosscourt backhand on shot number 25. That was a truly taxing rally.

I wondered if 34-year-old Rafa had to hit a winner early in the rally - but he didn't. Instead he hit another hard ball on the crosscourt side which opened up the backhand on his next shot.

Tsitsipas looks like he has Nadal on the run as he pushes the second seed behind the baseline, but the Spaniard just keeps getting the fluff back and then leaps into a winner after 25 strokes.

Great rally. And he holds as the Greek sends a clunky forehand long.

Wrist-rattling serve from Rafael Nadal to get on the board before another whipping effort that catches the Stefanos Tsitsipas' frame and trickles away. 30-30.

Nadal slowing it down on serve, and then losing back-to-back points after punchy Tsitsipas returns.

0-30 and maybe the Greek senses an opportunity of his own...

Andrew Castle
BBC Sport tennis commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

Quite a special hold that. There were a couple of errors from Nadal but even when he played the points well it wasn't enough.

Now it's Rafael Nadal's turn to go uncharacteristically long after engaging Stefanos Tsitsipas in a rally, and then jabbing into the guts of the net as the Greek swings this service game back in his favour.

He comes charging to the net to finish it off with a well-placed overhead smash.

That's loose from the fifth seed, leaking a forehand long and giving Rafael Nadal a sniff. 15-30.

David Law
BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra tennis commentator

The backhand pattern here - the forehand of Nadal into the backhand of Tsitsipas - Roger Federer spent 12 years trying to figure that out before he did it. He would have toyed with a backhand slice, but Nadal eats those for breakfast. It is hard to cope with.

Andrew Castle
BBC Sport tennis commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

Tsitsipas is going to have moments of inspiration and turn these rallies around by coming in to the net. But can he do it for three out of five sets against Nadal? Nadal, like Djokovic puts the bar just that much higher than everyone else.

Rafael Nadal ups the tempo and holds as the Greek clips the tape with a backhand, but he's being made to work for each point at the moment.

Image source, Reuters

Rafael Nadal comes scuttling to the net but Stefanos Tsitsipas chases down a volley and forces the second seed to jab long with the next. The Spaniard grinds his way back to 30-15 before Tsitsipas seizes an opportunity to come forward and guides a sliced volley out of the 34-year-old's reach. 30-30.

It's the battle of the headbands in Melbourne. Who wears it better? Nadal with the bandana-esque bow that allows him to flick any loose bangs behind his ears, Tsitsipas with a similar, garish yellow number to match his shirt. No lockdown haircuts means we might all have to invest in one...

The Greek rattles to another love hold.

Gigi Salmon
BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra tennis commentator

Nadal looks good through three games.

Nadal gobbles up a short ball with a sweeping forehand winner. He screams another down the line and Tsitsipas just about gets strings on it, but can do nothing about a fierce flicked effort that follows.

It remains on serve early in this one.

David Law
BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra tennis commentator

One of the things that struck me about Stefanos Tsitsipas two years ago was standing at the net next to Roger Federer and he towered above him. And he was wider. He looked like Federer 2.0. He played him at his own game and manhandled him.

The fifth seed attacks Nadal's slower second serve but finds it coming back with interest. Rafa throws down an ace just to assert his authority. 30-0.