Rafael Nadal v Zizou Bergs LIVE: Tennis result and latest updates as Spaniard battles through at Italian Open

Here comes Rafa. He’s into his flow now, fluent forehands and backhands used interchangably to create the angles needed to play his opponent out of each point. A hold to 15.

Nadal breaks! Classic clay court fare from the Spaniard, biding his time before unleashing that fabulous, fierce forehand. Zizou Bergs tries his best to cling on but is eventually shaken out of the game as Nadal starts to turn the screw.

Lovely court manipulation from Nadal enables him to hold, popping a winner past a stranded Zizou Bergs.

A moment of concern for Rafael Nadal as he takes a tumble mid-rally, but he rolls back to his feet in one movement...and wins the point! Briliant! What agility from the veteran, bouncing around like a teenager again and having the coolness and calm to finish it with a disguised drop shot.

Nothing to overly concern the Belgian in the first few skirmishes of the decider, up to 40-0 in good time. But a forehand volley on the approach slides wide before Nadal pushes Bergs off balance.

What a shot that is, though! Nadal appears to have fought back to deuce as a check volley drops towards the floor, but Bergs contorts his wrist around it and curls it inside the tramlines. Remarkable - and just the sort of shot he might need if he is to pull off a famous victory.

Zizou Bergs disappears between sets, apparently requesting some caffeine with his energy levels perhaps just sagging. He’s matched Rafael Nadal blow-for-blow for long periods of this match - but a decider against a man with so much experience of taking things deep on clay will test his stamina.

A break point for Zizou Bergs is passed up, the Belgian overeager to assert himself and thudding a backhand too far.

And Rafael Nadal surges to the set, a magnificent retreating overhead followed by a forehand winner. We’re going to a decider.

An enjoyable exchange at the end of Zizou Bergs’ service game, Rafael Nadal pressing the red button to release a howitzer forehand and Bergs answering with a missile of a first serve. Nadal will serve for the set.

A bit of bother for Rafael Nadal at 15-30, a blaring speaker distracted him and forcing a serve errant. The umpire kindly gives it back to him, but Nadal sends it long regardless. His second strike is handy enough, though, and Bergs pats a backhand into the net’s midriff after a mid-length rally.

What a volley! That’s remarkable from Zizou Bergs, shovelling out a winner from down by his left ankle after Nadal had appeared to have swept his legs out with a vicious forehand.

The Belgian can’t capitalise, though - Nadal moves within a game of levelling the set.

Rather more comfortable for Bergs on serve.