Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Japan Open semi-final between Rafa Nadal and Mardy Fish!

7-5 6-1 - WINNER! Fish flaked, if you'll forgive the pun. He lost his way desperately after reaching 5-5 in the first set. Nadal in cruise control, hitting a trademark forehard to bring up match point and taking it straight away. Fish looks happy to simply get off the court.

NADAL 7-5 5-1 - Fish creating chances and putting Nadal under pressure on his serve for the first time in about an hour. But he makes mistakes at crucial junctures, and 15-30 in his favour suddenly turns to 40-30 for Nadal. He smashes his racquet to the ground in frustration, only to pick it up in time for Nadal to complete the hold.

NADAL 7-5 4-1 - Confident, flowing service hold from Fish. He serves with venom and he tucks away shots at the net with ease. Squint hard enough to avoid seeing the scoreline, and you'd think you were back at the beginning of the match when Fish started so brightly.

NADAL 7-5 4-0 - Fish needs to attack without inhibition now - a set and two breaks down, what else can he do? The tactic bears fruit with a backhand volley to level things at 15-15, but Nadal is not often dictated to. He powers ahead to 40-15 and just as Fish threatens to win a point back, he nets sloppily to hand over the game.

NADAL 7-5 3-0 - BREAK! The errors are most of Fish's game now - the belief seems to have gone as he misses a simple volley and lets Nadal move to 0-30. But he then conjures a staggering touch half-volley to beat Nadal, and the Spaniard misjudges a lob to hand Fish a chance. Brutal forehands from Nadal bring break point, and he doesn't miss out.

NADAL 7-5 2-0 - Fish is the only one seemingly challenging the line calls, but he's finally had a decision go his way on appeal - and the fact that his angled shot catches the line keeps him interested at 30-30. He gets his drop shot spot on to force deuce, but he's always playing catch-up and eventually the Spaniard gets over the line.

NADAL 7-5 1-0 - BREAK! Change of shirt for Fish, but the same problems persist. When he gets it right he's a match for Nadal, but there are needless errors. He saves a break point from deuce with an overhead, but Nadal keeps on returning the ball, and eventually the mistake comes.

NADAL 7-5 - SET! Just what the Spaniard needed - a simple service game to give himself the edge - up to 30-0 in no time. The American rallies with an aggressive point won with a backhand down the line at the net, but a perfect forehand low over the net brings set point, and he takes it with a cheeky drop shot at the net at the first attempt.

NADAL 6-5 - BREAK! The Spaniard sense blood here - hitting some authority-laden forehands to open up a 15-30 advantage. Fish gets back on terms, fires a big ace to bring up game point, only to miss a backhand which takes the game to deuce. Break point arrives when Fish can't control a volley on his toes, and the American saves. But Nadal won't be denied - two long rallies both go his way, and he'll serve for the set.

NADAL 5-5 - The unforced errors are mounting up for Fish - particularly on his opponent's serve. Nadal holds to love - but the American's mistakes are responsible for every point. One last chance in this set for either man to break.

NADAL 4-5 - A rare miss, that, as Nadal puts a forehand down the line an inch wide. That brings him back to 15-15. He gets a service call of out overruled to nudge back in front, but Fish lets Nadal back in at 30-30 by missing long. Nadal frustrated not to do more with a second serve, which Fish finishes off on the forehand, and he holds after winning a lengthy exchange when Nadal goes long.

NADAL 4-4 - Holds for both players getting progressively more comfortable. Nadal coasts through this one to love, hitting the ball so deep that Fish has no chance to get forward and attack.

NADAL 3-4 - Nadal has been able to win just three points on the Fish serve so far. His forehand and net play looking especially good as the American nudges ahead again in the opening set.

NADAL 3-3 - Terrific backhand pass crosscourt gets Fish off to a winning start in this game, but thereafter it's all Nadal, whose forehand is starting to look ominous. He also shows great touch to angle a drop shot out of Fish's reach at the net after reeling off four points in a row.

NADAL 2-3 - More errors from Fish, but he's also doing plenty right. The Spaniard cannot punish him, especially as the American moves to the net. He seals the game with a confident backhand overhead volley.

NADAL 2-2 - Nadal back on level terms, but the Spaniard is grinding his way through games at the moment. Even by his standard he seems to be taking a long time between points, but Fish throws in a couple of errors on return at just the wrong moments.

NADAL 1-2 - Another impressive hold from the American to love. He closes the game out with a fierce backhand down the line, and is offering Nadal very little time with some flat forehands.

NADAL 1-1 - That's more like it from Nadal - a thumping pair of forehands down the line to which Fish has no answer, and that gives the Spaniard a 30-15 lead. The court opens up for Fish to level, but he puts his backhand agonisingly wide, and the American gives up the game with an ambitious and speculative backhand drop shot.

NADAL 0-1 - Nerveless opening from the American. He serves with authority and his groundstrokes behind the serve are clean. No points dropped as he gets his first game on the board.

We're ready to begin. Fish will serve first in Tokyo.