Hello and welcome to LIVE comments from the first of the Madrid Masters semi-finals between world number one Rafael Nadal and world number three Roger Federer

NADAL 5-7 6-1 6-3 - GAME, SET & MATCH - Federer earns himself a break back point with a fantastic point, pushing Nadal from side to side on the baseline before dinking a brilliant backhand drop shot just over the net for a winner. The Spaniard saves it with a huge first serve before earniing himself a first match point when Federer's forehand sails long. And one match point is all it takes as a huge forehand onto the baseline is only returned into the net by Federer

NADAL 5-7 6-1 5-3 - Federer is not going to give the match away, holding without any drama with a solid first serve, to leave Nadal serving for the match

NADAL 5-7 6-1 5-2 - Nadal leaves himself potentially just one game away from the final, and a 37th straight win on clay, when Federer flashes another wayward forehand long of the baseline. The world number three will have to serve to stay in the match after the change of ends

NADAL 5-7 6-1 4-2 - Federer holds with an emphatic high forehand volley winner across into the open court after Nadal had been forced into a defensive lob of sorts down the line

NADAL 5-7 6-1 4-1 - A very impressive service hold from Nadal as he eases through without dropping a point, to cement the break, with a series of huge forehands and a shocking error from Federer as he slaps a forehand well long of the baseline

NADAL 5-7 6-1 3-1 - BREAK - A blistering forehand from Federer appears to have won him the game as Nadal cannot return it but the Spaniard gets the umpire down to check the mark and Leilani decides the ball has gone long. Nadal takes the opportunity to earn himself a break point with a phenomenal whipping forehand passing shot winner off the drop shot at a ridiculously acute angle! And Nadal does break when a clearly angry Federer slaps the ball long

NADAL 5-7 6-1 2-1 - Federer earns himself a break point with an unbelievable half-volley backhand across court that turns defence into attack and forces Nadal to go wide down the line. The chance goes begging through when Federer's backhand drifts long of the baseline and Nadal goes on to hold with a solid first serve that Federer returns into the net off the forehand wing

NADAL 5-7 6-1 1-1 - Almost the perfect service game from Federer, despite the world number three having to recover from 15-30 down, something he managed with a cracking backhand passing shot winner before going on to hold with no further trouble

NADAL 5-7 6-1 1-0 - Nadal opens the third set with a love service game, landing four first serves that prevent Federer from making any kind of impact

NADAL 5-7 6-1 - SET - Nadal breaks for the final game of the set, wrapping things up with another forehand winner to force the decider

NADAL 5-7 5-1 - Successive off-forehand winners from the mid-court sees Federer earn himself another break back point. But Nadal saves it with an agressive forehand that he follows up with an easy passing shot winner down the line and eventually he goes on to hold to leave Federer serving to stay in this second set

NADAL 5-7 4-1 - The length ball from Nadal continues to cause Federer all kinds of problems as he levels up at deuce when the Swiss player sends a forehand wide across court. Although Federer had looked to be cruising towards a solid hold, Nadal is handed a break point when a poor Federer off-forehand flies well wide. The third seed saves it with a high forehand winner down the centre of the court and goes on to hold, when Nadal hits wide, to at least avoid the bagel set

NADAL 5-7 4-0 - Nadal is forced to save a couple of break points, which he does with a couple of huge first serves, before going on to hold and cement the double break with a forehand that Federer can only return into the net

NADAL 5-7 3-0 - BREAK - Federer recovers from 15-30 down with a blistering backhand approach shot down the line followed by a shoulder-height backhand volley into the open court. But Nadal maintains his pressure and earns himself another break point when a Federer backhand goes astray. And sure enough the German does grab the double break when Federer again fails with a backhand. This is headed for a third set now, surely?

NADAL 5-7 2-0 - A timely first serve from Nadal as he bounces back from deuce to go on and hold when Federer fails to return in court a serve out wide to his backhand wing. That consolidates the break for Nadal as the second set exactly follows the path of the first so far

NADAL 5-7 1-0 - BREAK - An early break point goes begging for Nadal as he fails to get his defensive backhand lob down before the baseline. But he gets a second chance straight away and this time he takes full advantage with an off-forehand across court that catches the outside of the line that Federer can only return into the net. The world number three is furious as Mohammed Leilani agrees with the original call. "There's no way that ball was it" Federer yells. He's not going to win this one

In 18 of their previous 23 meetings, the player who has won the first set has gone on to win the match, including in each of their last 12 meetings. Will Nadal be able to stop to that and bounce back here?

NADAL 5-7 - SET - A stunning backhand passing shot winner from Federer, on the run and at an acute angle, brings up a first set point for the Swiss player. And it's a set point he takes full advantage of, pushing Nadal wide on the Spaniard's forehand wing before finding the winner down the opposite line

NADAL 5-6 - Federer misses three straight first serves as Nadal found a blistering forehand that Federer could not return in play, for three break points. Three first serves later though and Federer has saved all of them as Nadal is rushed into error and the Swiss world number three goes on to hold when Nadal's cross court forehand catches the top of the tape and bounces wide. He'll have to serve to stay in it for a second time after the change of ends

NADAL 5-5 - An emphatic smash from Nadal gets the game underway, and perhaps exorcises a little frustration for the Spaniard, and he goes on to hold to love with a vicious forehand winner down the line (after running round the ball). He's not going to let this set go without a fight