Hello and welcome back to the Rod Laver Arena for the final match of the day between world number one Rafael Nadal and compatriot David Ferrer, seeded seventh

So David Ferrer is though to the semi-finals where he will face fifth seed Andy Murray and you can follow LIVE game-by-game coverage of that match from 8am (UK time) on Friday morning

NADAL 4-6 2-6 3-6 - GAME, SET & MATCH - Ferrer serves out the match to love in emphatic style, stepping inside the court and firing a forehand winner down the line after running around the ball before warmly commiserating with Nadal at the net

NADAL 4-6 2-6 3-5 - All credit to Nadal as he holds with a solid serve that Ferrer cannot return in play and he will make the seventh seed serve out this match. He's such a creature of habit that he even goes to change his racquet for this last game

NADAL 4-6 2-6 2-5 - A slightly nervy double fault from Ferrer hands Nadal a break back point. But the seventh seed saves it with a cracking first serve that Nadal can only return long. And Ferrer goes on to hold, and leave himself potentially one game from the semi-finals, with an ace. That's his eighth ace of the day and Nadal will have to serve to stay in this match after the change of ends

NADAL 4-6 2-6 2-4 - Nadal doubles his output in this set as he holds to 30 with a cracking first serve and forehand winner down the centre of the court. He will play on to the bitter end of this clash. He retired hurt at this stage last year remember and clearly does not want another retirement to his name

NADAL 4-6 2-6 1-4 - Nadal earns himself a break back point with a forehand winner straight down the line (the world number one is belting anything that is even vaguely in his wheelhouse) but Ferrer saves it with a forehand winner down the line of his own after running around the ball. And he goes on to hold with a cross court forehand winner that Nadal only makes a token effort to move to his right for the volley

NADAL 4-6 2-6 1-3 - Nadal was practically in tears during the change of ends but he comes out and holds by coming into the net and doing enough with a forehand volley so that Ferrer goes long with his lob. The crowd are wildly cheering any point Nadal wins, trying to will him back into this clash

NADAL 4-6 2-6 0-3 - Ferrer races through love service hold to consolidate the break, sealing it with an ace. Nadal's resistance is getting less and less now but again this shouldn't take away from Ferrer's performance today as he contineus to play well and do exactly what is necessary

NADAL 4-6 2-6 0-2 - BREAK - Nadal saves a first break point with an ace (although Ferrer challenges incorrectly) and he comes up with another two great first serves on his way to denying Ferrer on both of them. In turn the seventh seed squanders a fourth chance with a forehand long of the baseline. Ferrer denies Nadal a game point by flashing a forehand winner down the line before going on to break when Nadal hits an off-forehand out across court

NADAL 4-6 2-6 0-1 - Ferrer seals his first service hold with an ace before walking to the net clearly expecting a handshake from his compatriot. But still there is no sign of it from Nadal who just shakes his head as he passes his friend at the net

NADAL 4-6 2-6 - SET - Ferrer flashes an off-forehand winner across court after a 181kph first serve from Nadal and that seals the second set. Still no signs of a hand-shake from Nadal - he is continuing this match and credit to him for that. It's a long way back if he were to hope to come back from this though

NADAL 4-6 2-5 - Ferrer deserves credit for this performance. He is playing well and doing all the right things as he exposes Nadal's lack of movement. And the seventh seed races through a service hold with a fifth ace, shortly after catching the very outside of the line with a cross court forehand winner (confirmed by a Nadal hawkeye challenge)

NADAL 4-6 2-4 - BREAK - Fantastic from Ferrer as he dinks a forehand drop shot over the net to expose Nadal, who has tightened up once again after the 20 minute delay for the fireworks. The world number one flashes another worried look towards Uncle Toni and Ferrer goes on to break with a forehand winner.

Sure enough the players do opt to stop playing while the fireworks go off (they get the choice if they want to continue if they want) and first Nadal and then Ferrer leave the court for a comfort break as they call it. A toilet break to the rest of us!

NADAL 4-6 2-3 - Ferrer gets down to a very low ball on the tramlines to flick a stunning forehand passing shot winner straight down the line. How he got that up off the floor is anyone's guess and he goes on to hold to 15 to fully get things back on serve. That will probably be the last game before a pause for the Australia Day fireworks over Melbourne city

NADAL 4-6 2-2 - BREAK - Ferrer has got his game back under control as Nadal thumps his racquet strings with his fist in frustration after dumping a backhand into the net to hand his opponent three break back points. Nadal saves the first with a 195kph first ace of the match. But Ferrer does break back at the second attempt, running around the ball before drilling a forehand winner straight down the line

NADAL 4-6 2-1 - BREAK - Ferrer is pushing things a little too far as he slaps down a double fault before also sending a forehand long to hand Nadal three break points. One is all that's needed though as the world number one produces some quality length hitting to force Ferrer to hit long, which he does off the forehand wing. Nadal is a break up in this second set

NADAL 4-6 1-1 - Ferrer gets a little luck with a net cord turning his solid forehand into a winner as it catches the top of the tape and dropping a lot shorter over the net. But it is the only point of the game he gets as Nadal goes on to hold with a cracking backhand volley across court that only gets better as he gets a spot of luck with the net cord of his own

NADAL 4-6 0-1 - Ferrer holds to 15 for the opening game of the second set, the older Spaniard coming up with a ferocious first serve out wide before pouncing on the short return and flashing a cross court forehand winner past Nadal on game point

NADAL 4-6 - SET - Nadal is forced to save a set point but does so with a huge forehand across court which he follows with a forehand stop volley winner and produces a very similar combo to save a second, albeit with a drive volley winner across court. But Nadal can do nothing about the third as he goes for an off-forehand winner across court only to fire it well wide into the tramlines! Well, well. A clearly injured Nadal goes a set down and this is now a *very* interesting match-up