Hello and welcome to LIVE coverage from the first of the men's fourth round clashes between world number three Rafael Nadal and 14th seed Kevin Anderson.

So a tight first set for Nadal but after coming through that he rarely looked tested by Anderson. For the first time in Melbourne this year, Nadal looks like a real contender for the title. Next up for the world number three will be seventh seed Tomas Berdych, who just moments ago completed an equally impressive 6-2 7-6(3) 6-2 win over home hope Bernard Tomic.

Nadal 7-5 6-1 6-4 Anderson. Game, set and match. Nadal's total comfort in the match is obvious when his water bottle falls over and he has a laugh at the ball kid that is trying to put it back in exactly the right spot and facing the right way. The Spaniard looks on gleefully as the crowd cheer on the kid before taking a 30-0 lead with a change-of-direction forehand half volley on the baseline and backhand half volley winner as an approach shot. That quickly becomes three match points with a big first serve. Nadal goes for the big forehand winner to finish off the match only to send the ball marginally long. But it's only a temporary respite for Anderson as Nadal books his place in the last eight at the second attempt with an inside out forehand approach shot winner across court.

Nadal 7-5 6-1 5-4 Anderson. Nadal ruins what looks like it's going to be a love service game for Anderson with a casually flicked forehand winner down the line before putting an injection of pace on an inside out cross court forehand that draws a forehand well long in return from Anderson. The South African does hold at the third attempt, however, when Nadal can't quite pull his running forehand back into play down the line. Anderson has done his part to force Nadal to serve out the match. Can he find a way into the Spaniard's serve?

Nadal 7-5 6-1 5-3 Anderson. A love service hold for Nadal is sealed when Anderson goes long, admittedly under pressure from the Spaniard, down the centre of the court with a fairly routine backhand. The South African will have to serve to keep this match alive next.

Nadal 7-5 6-1 4-3 Anderson. The South African holds for the loss of just the one point with an emphatic smash winner that bounces back up in to row three or so. That must have felt good for Anderson. He remains a break down though, having made little inroads on the Nadal serve since that tight first set.

Nadal 7-5 6-1 4-2 Anderson. A solid game from Nadal as he slams the door shut from 15-30 down with an inside out forehand across court and regulation forehand winner across court, followed by an ace and a forehand approach shot that beats Anderson for pace. A clenched fist from Nadal shows just how important it was to the Spaniard that he didn't allow Anderson a look at a break point and he is potentially just two games away from the quarter-finals now.

Nadal 7-5 6-1 3-2 Anderson. A much better game from Anderson as he posts his first love hold in a while, an inside out forehand across court landing smack on the sideline to seal the game and keep the deficit in this third set down to just the one break.

Nadal 7-5 6-1 3-1 Anderson. Nadal is in total control now as he makes a change from trading forehands to thumping a backhand winner across court look supremely easy. He barely looks like he changed his footwork there and holds for the loss of just the one point to consolidate the break.

Nadal 7-5 6-1 2-1 Anderson. Break. A dipping forehand down the line (but well inside) is too much for Anderson to get down too properly. The 6'8" South African does well to get down to it at all but can't control his low backhand volley, popping the ball up and well wide across court. Nadal has the break, albeit at the second attempt after netting a forehand return on the first, and is looking very comfortable now.

Nadal 7-5 6-1 1-1 Anderson. A big body serve followed by forehand winner down the line opens the game for Nadal before he goes on to hold with another forehand down the line, this time down the opposite wing after he had run round the ball. Solid hold for Nadal to open the third set.

Nadal 7-5 6-1 0-1 Anderson. Better from Anderson as he gets his side of the scoreboard ticking over once more with a hold to 15. Nadal cannot keep the ball in play after a big first serve from the South African and that is the game secure for the 14th seed.

Nadal 7-5 6-1 Anderson. Set. Very comfortable for Nadal in that second set then as he serves out to love with a good enough body serve that Anderson can only return in to the bottom of the net. Impressive performance from Nadal although Anderson definitely fell away after failing to secure the first set when he had the set points.

Nadal 7-5 5-1 Anderson. Anderson does well to hold, despite further pressure from Nadal, and at least avoid the bagel second set. The South African fires down some more big serving and it will be up to Nadal to serve out this second set.

Nadal 7-5 5-0 Anderson. A forehand winner quickly followed up with two backhand winnres from Nadal and he has the cemented his double break lead with a love hold. Just 30 minutes ago Anderson had a real chance of taking the first set, now he will be serving to stay in the second set.

Nadal 7-5 4-0 Anderson. Break. Nadal earns himself another break point, Anderson left shouting in frustraton when his backhand approach shot goes just long of the baseline. The Spaniard has to do basically nothing to secure the double break as Anderson slaps down a double fault.

Nadal 7-5 3-0 Anderson. Nadal extends his lead with a service hold to 30 when Anderson goes long with a forehand down the line. It could have been a love service hold for the Spaniard but for a double fault and a backhand down the line that just goes long, called out with a late call but confirmed by hawkeye.

Nadal 7-5 2-0 Anderson. Break. Nadal denies Anderson on a first game point with a running forehand passing shot winner curled across court. Still he's not happy though practicing his backhand swing between points and then shutting down Anderson's second game point with a couple of sliced backhands followed by a backhand winner across court. A mid-court, inside out forehand winner across court from Nadal earns him a break point and sure enough the Spaniard does take a stranglehold on the match with another move up the court, thumping a backhand winner down the line with an injection of pace as he goes forward.

Nadal 7-5 1-0 Anderson. Anderson sneaks ahead in the early stags of the game with a forehand winner but Nadal is proving equal so far today at shutting down thes half chances of Anderson's. He does so again in this game, quickly levelling up before going on to hold with a forehand winner of his own and a big serve that the South African cannot return.

Nadal 7-5 Anderson. Set. Anderson plays his worst shot of the match so far before going long with a forehand to gift Nadal two set points. The first goes begging for Nadal when Anderson again goes back to the backhand of the Spaniard and draws the shot wide down the line. But Nadal draws Anderson in on the second but testing him with a dipping forehand that the South African gets completely beffudlled by, crouching right down and trying to play it with the racquet upright. Nadal has the opening set.

Nadal 6-5 Anderson. Nadal tries to slice a backhand down low to give himself a little more time but Anderson is equaly to the task, gets down to the ball and thumps it back for a tricky backhand into the corner. The Spaniard then goes long with a forehand and finds himself triple break point down. Nadal saves the first with another thumping forehand winner down the and the second with a huge serve that Anderson cannot return in play. A tight backhand return into the net from Anderson squanders the third but he gets a fourth chance when Nadal goes wide with an attempted backhand down the line. This time Nadal saves it with a first ace, straight down the centre of the court, while a fifth goes begging when Anderson loops a forehand wide across court. Another ace earns Nadal a game point and this time he does hold on an Anderson error.