But Nadal tips it ever so gently down the tramlines to finish off his 40-30 fightback. HOLD for 5-3 and now Nadal is a break - or a service game - away from a win!
Ramos Vinolas isn't done yet. He has his own love game - his first of the match. He's still down a break at 3-4, but the #15 seed won't go down without a fight!
And there's the first break of the second set! Rafael Nadal wins on his second break point to take a 3-2 lead in the second set. Is this where it all goes downhill for ARV, or can he fight back?
Service hold from Nadal to take scores to 1-1! Defense has been much better from ARV so far this set, much better than set 1...but then again, he held then to start, too..
Hoo boy. Nadal wants to wrap this up, and fast! The Spanish ace breezes through that first set, breaking, breaking and it's an, er, broken Albert Ramos who will want to fight back in Set 2. It's been done before.. but with Beast Mode Nadal on, our money's on La Decima.
Albert Ramos Vinolas can't catch a break....literally! He hasn't managed to hold a game either since that first service game, and he's flubbed it royally. Nadal now a game away from the first set. This is looking like quite the straightforward battle...
Apologies to all our readers - with no video or live match currently available, we'll be getting you live score updates - and let you know if that changes through the match!
Rafa's in form and then some! After some very decisive tennis this year already, he's powered through to the finals of the Monte Carlo Masters. One could say that the early exits of both Murray and Djokovic have helped, but that wouldn't necessarily be true - he's in better form than the World No. 1 and World No. 2 right now!