Hello and welcome to LIVE coverage of Day 5 at the 2019 Australian Open. First up in the night session on Rod Laver Arena is 17-time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal against Australia's rising star, Alex de Minaur.

Fair play to de Minaur. What spirit to save five match points!

GAME, SET AND MATCH! - NADAL 6-1 6-2 6-4 DE MINAUR. The 17-time Grand Slam champion offers more evidence he could well be a big threat to clock up major title No.18 as he surges through in two hours and 22 minutes. The young Aussie, de Minaur battled bravely but could not unhinge Nadal, who overcame a real wobble from 40-0 up to serve it out on his SIXTH match point.

It's Rafa's 250th Grand Slam win and sees him set up a round four meeting with Tomas Berdych.

NADAL 6-1 6-2 5-4 DE MINAUR. The 19-year-old Aussie has enjoyed his best set of the match, but needs to produce something special to prolong it further. He poses the serve-out question with a quick-fire hold to love. Rafa seemed to have the next game on his mind from the off, and it's no real surprise when he doesn't challenge a close shot called out at 40-0.

NADAL 6-1 6-2 5-3 DE MINAUR. Nadal with steely focus once more. He surges to a hold to 15 and is one away from round four and a landmark 250th Grand Slam victory.

NADAL 6-1 6-2 4-3 DE MINAUR. Demon refuses to bow that head. He continues to fight against the overwhelming tide that is Nadal. He wins one of the points of the match when he fires a wonderful crosscourt winner following a magnificent rally. Even then, that's not quite enough as Nadal presses him to deuce yet again. The Spaniard can't quite work himself into a position for a break though, and de Minaur remains alive in the set.

NADAL 6-1 6-2 4-2 DE MINAUR. Nadal just doesn't give de Minaur anything to work with. The Aussie jogs to the baseline to return with a bounce in his step, but is soon turning in disappointment. Rafa rattles through a love hold and is now just two games from victory.

NADAL 6-1 6-2 3-2 DE MINAUR. That's a super hold for the teenager. Even at 40-0 up he isn't safe. Rafa wears him down to make deuce. The threat is there once again for the Aussie, but he finds a big serve to edge back in front before some powerhouse hitting from the baseline lures an error into the net off the his opponent.

NADAL 6-1 6-2 3-1 DE MINAUR. Too good. Nadal throws in a fifth double fault of the match but it comes at 40-0 up after he'd wowed the crowd once more with a sumptuous forehand winner down the line. The No.2 seed continues to tick along very nicely.

NADAL 6-1 6-2 2-1 DE MINAUR. That's probably the best the teenage Aussie has felt all match. He uses the frustration of the last game to inspire himself rather than let his head drop. He rattles through a love hold to get on the board.

NADAL 6-1 6-2 2-0 DE MINAUR. That's tough to take for Alex. He corks a forehand winner and then benefits from a misfire off Rafa's trademark strike to give himself a look-in at 0-30.

But, this is Rafa isn't it? The Spaniard lands a wide ace and then comes up with an astonishing backhand pass from an awkward defensive position. From there he surges through to consolidate and bang another dent in de Minaur's determination to try and stay upbeat.

BREAK! - NADAL 6-1 6-2 1-0 DE MINAUR. Any hopes of de Minaur affecting the Nadal momentum are pretty bleak. The Aussie needed the hold to get Set 3 off to a flyer, but was immediately under the cosh. Rafa is just a machine. He can see the finish line now as he breaks to 15.

SET! - NADAL 6-1 6-2 DE MINAUR. That was surprisingly edgy from Nadal, but he finds that extra gear in difficult situations to come through and claim the second set. The forehand misfires and he looks tight with a volley into the net. De Minaur has his chances with three break points, but he can't deny the Spaniard who remains on course for round four.

NADAL 6-1 5-2 DE MINAUR. That's more like it! Demon produces a couple of crisp forehand winners and then poses the serve-out question with only his second ace of the match with arguably his best service game of the match.

NADAL 6-1 5-1 DE MINAUR. The world number two nails his fourth ace of the match to ease through and back up the double break for the loss of just one point.

BREAK! - NADAL 6-1 4-1 DE MINAUR. The errors leak off the 19-year-old Aussie's racket. He really needed to stay in touch with Nadal in this set for his own state of mind, but the fight appears to be slowly ebbing out of him. Rafa breaks to love without having to do too much and is cruising towards a two-set lead.

VIDEO: What happened overnight - Federer and Sharapova shine in Melbourne