Carlos Alcaraz can't make the most of his first chance, sending the ball into the middle of the net.

That's better, Carlos. The Spaniard dances through the air to defend a blistering Tallon Griekspoor backhand and he follows it up with an equally acrobatic volley winner.

And then he lands two big, big forehand winners. Three break points.

And there it is. Tallon Griekspoor only needs the first of his three break points as Carlos Alcaraz plants the ball into the net.

Spain are having to play catch-up against the Dutch team now.

Oh dear. A double fault and it's three break points for Tallon Griekspoor.

A half-chance is emerging for Tallon Griekspoor, who has opened up a 0-30 lead after a couple of Carlos Alcaraz misses.

Tallon Griekspoor quickly forgets that double fault and dominates the next point, staying patient before lashing down a forehand winner.

And there's an ace from the Dutchman to wrap up the hold.

No stopping those. Tallon Griekspoor has to shift awkwardly to loft the return into the air and it falls kindly for Carlos Alcaraz, who rushes forward and sweeps it home.

And that's job done for the four-time Grand Slam champion.

Carlos Alcaraz sends an ace out wide to get his service game up and running, and Tallon Griekspoor can't get enough on the next serve either. 30-0.

Tallon Griekspoor saves the break point and comes through his service game unscathed. On we go.

A timely ace gets Tallon Griekspoor out of trouble, for now. Deuce.

Tallon Griekspoor is on a roll with his serve, but his momentum falters as he tries to angle a sneaky hit over the net.

Carlos Alcaraz takes advantage of the slip up and pulls level at 30-30 with a lovely little volley.

And here we go, the first break point opportunity goes the way of the Spaniard.

A messy attempt at a drop shot gives Tallon Griekspoor an early lead on Carlos Alcaraz's serve.

The Spaniard finds his rhythm and pulls ahead with an ace and another unreturnable serve. Oh, and then another ace for good measure.

A confident hold.

There we go. Tallon Griekspoor, finally, stands firm and gets the hold.

Carlos Alcaraz somehow got to that serve-volley combo, but his angled cross-court forehand just misses the line.

Tallon Griekspoor fails to wrap up the hold, going long again. Deuce.

Carlos Alcaraz gets away with one there. He leaves himself exposed at the net and the lob Tallon Griekspoor almost catches the baseline to get the hold over and done with. Back to deuce.

A booming ace gets Tallon Griekspoor off the mark, but Carlos Alcaraz replies with a stunner of a forehand winner - finding the empty court left behind the advancing Dutchman.

Two more aces follow but Griekspoor finds the net on the next two points. Deuce.

Here we go then. Can Carlos Alcaraz keep Spain in the Davis Cup and prolong Rafael Nadal's farewell?

Let's find out!

*denotes next server.

The stats are in Carlos Alcaraz's favour today.

He's played Tallon Griekspoor on four occasions and won all of them, with two of those victories arriving earlier this year.

The most recent was a convincing 6-1 6-2 win in the second round of the China Open just a couple of months ago.

Image source, Getty Images

Carlos Alcaraz says winning the Davis Cup for Rafael Nadal this week is a "huge motivation" and will mark the "most special" tournament of his career.

Alcaraz, 21, teamed up with his childhood idol Nadal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where they were knocked out in the quarter-finals.

The world number three said: "It's probably the most special tournament I'll play in my career, because of what's happening, because of the circumstances.

"The Davis Cup has always been a tournament that I'd love to win one day. I'm passionate about representing Spain. Having Rafa by my side, knowing it's his last tournament, will make it much more special.

"No player deserves more to finish the incredible career he had with a title, and I know how special the Davis Cup is for him. It will be a difficult challenge but winning it for Rafa is a huge motivation.

"Rafa's farewell is much more important, at least for me. The Davis Cup is every year. Rafa's farewell, saying goodbye to a legend of the sport, unfortunately only happens once. Personally I’m very excited to be by Rafa's side for his farewell."

A warm reception from the Malaga crowd for Carlos Alcaraz, who raises a single arm to wave his appreciation.

The Spaniard bounces onto the court energetically. He wins the coin toss and chooses to let Tallon Griekspoor serve first.