Carlos Alcaraz is so relaxed, he's twirling his racquet around his finger in between points.

The Spaniard goes 15-30 up but is pulled back when Tallon Griekspoor flings down a forehand winner.

The Dutchman holds up a clenched fist as he sends a winner down the line, leaving Alcaraz scrambling.

Right back at you, says Carlos Alcaraz. A nice and easy love hold.

That's much better from Tallon Griekspoor, who stops the rot with a love hold. The world number 40 needed that.

The unforced errors are racking up for Tallon Griekspoor, but he manages to claw a point back as Carlos Alcaraz finds the net.

Alcaraz pinches the line with a crushing forehand winner, and there's an ace to seal the deal.

Carlos Alcaraz points to his ear, calling for more noise from an already boisterous Malaga crowd.

There's also a beaming smile on the face of his team-mate Rafael Nadal as he grabs the first break of the second set.

"Carlos, Carlos, Carlos" chant the crowd as he opens up a 15-30 lead on Tallon Griekspoor's serve.

The Dutchman is rattled. He plants into the net and hands his opponent two early break point opportunities.

Carlos Alcaraz picks up where he left off, racing through a love hold.

That's 14 points in a row.

The players are back from their bathroom breaks and we're ready to go again.

Carlos Alcaraz only needs the first. The Spaniard ups the intensity with a dominant tie-break performance.

That helps Spain out big time and takes them one step closer to a deciding doubles.

Carlos Alcaraz walks to his chair with a clenched fist and a wall of noise behind him. He has six set points.

Tallon Griekspoor tries to regain control by coming to the net, but he misses a volley and and then goes long.

It's a long, long way back now for the Dutchman, who throws his racquet off the floor and gestures to the crowd.

A huge roar from the Malaga crowd as Carlos Alcaraz sends Tallon Griekspoor tumbling with a deep, forceful forehand.

The Spaniard makes the most of the mini-break, backing it up and opening up a 3-0 lead.

The tie-break gets under way with the longest rally so far and it's Carlos Alcaraz who comes out on top as Tallon Griekspoor nets.

Very nearly for Tallon Griekspoor, who recovers from a slip to meet a drop shot from Carlos Alcaraz but he can only plant his next shot into the net.

And there's not much he can do about the next point, either as Alcaraz lands an ace - his sixth of the match.

And there's his seventh. We're going to a tie-break.

A very, very solid hold to love from Tallon Griekspoor. He piles the pressure back on Carlos Alcaraz.

That is ridiculous. That dink of a drop shot from Carlos Alcaraz has got Rafael Nadal on his feet and it even earns a thumbs up from Tallon Griekspoor.

And there's another Alcaraz ace. We could be going the distance in this opening set.

Carlos Alcaraz throws himself at that serve, but he can't get enough on it and Tallon Griekspoor gets the job done with a forehand winner after sending the Spaniard out wide on the next point.

A lightning-fast second serve from Tallon Griekspoor comes up clutch and we go to deuce.

And what a time for Rafael Nadal to return - Carlos Alcaraz has got himself a break point.

There's the man of the hour, Rafael Nadal.

He's back court-side to watch Carlos Alcaraz, who has to win to keep Spain in the Davis Cup and put off Nadal's retirement for at least another couple of days.