Hello, and welcome to Sports Mole's coverage of the French Open fourth round clash between Rafael Nadal and Kei Nishikori.

This has the potential to be an intriguing contest. Nishikori hasn't had much success against Nadal in the past, but he has developed into a stronger player in the past 18 months so the defending champion will have to improve from his opening three displays.

Of those three performances, Nadal has started slow in all three, losing the opener in two of those, while edging the other on a tie-break. He will have to start faster here.

For those of you interested, Nadal is celebrating his 27th birthday this afternoon. He seems to have been around a lot longer than that, hasn't he? The two players are ready, and it is Nishikori to serve first.

That's a fine start from Nishikori, coming out on top in the first rally of the match, before moving to 40-15 with a couple of winners. He nets on the next point, but a crunching backhand helps him to the first game of the match.

It hasn't taken the Japanese star long to settle, returning the ball with plenty of zip that forces Nadal to net. However, he makes an error off the backhand side, and Nadal takes the next two points to get on the board.

This is impressive from Nishikori, who wastes no time in moving to 40-0 with a super forehand winner. Nadal fires straight back at his opponent, but Nishikori forces an error and he remains in front at the change of ends.

There is no atmosphere whatsoever on the Philippe Chatrier court, but the crowd come to life when Nishikori creates two break points thanks to some big hitting from the baseline. However, Nadal begins to show his power, and he qucikly starves off the threat of losing his serve with four points in a row.

BREAK! You feel that Nadal has gained the initiative now, and he forces Nishikori into a couple of errors of his own. The Japanese player saves the first with a superb backhand into the corner of the court, which he repeats with extra venom to take it to deuce. The wind picks up during the next point, and Nishikori nets, and Nadal breaks when a net cord deceives his opponent.

We are only six games in, and it feels as though Nishikori is already feeling a little deflated. Maybe he is still thinking about those two break points chances that he missed? Nadal cruises through the game, and it looks ominous.

Nishikori takes the first point, but Nadal soon has him on the back foot once more. The number 13 seed shows a bit more determination in moving to the brink of the game, but he goes long and Nadal has deuce. Nishikori hangs in there though, and moves in to hit a cross-court winner for the game.

This is better from Nishikori, who takes the opening point, but he wastes an opportunity for 0-30 when he goes long with a forehand. However, some more big-hitting sees him regain the initiative, but three strong first serves from Nadal results in him winning the game.

Nadal moves to 0-15, but he slips on the next point to allow Nishikori to move level. Three unreturnable serves from the Japanese player gives him a little bit of momentum going into the next game, which he must win to remain in the set.

SET! It takes a comical shot from Nishikori to bring the crowd to life, but he replies with a return of serve that forces Nadal to net. The left-hander responds strongly, crushing a flat cross-court backhand to bring up two set points, but he fails to take the first after over-hitting a backhand. However, he isn't to be denied, Nishikori hitting a return wide, and the Spaniard has a one-set advantage.

This is an important game for Nishikori, who must stay in touch in this match. He looks on course to achieve game point, but a magical drop-shot from Nadal wins the point and gives him the chance to break. The Spaniard tries the same shot, but it's way too deep and Nishikori gives it the treatment that it deserves. It gives him the momentum for the game, and he sweeps into an early advantage in the second.

I can't quite get over how subdued the crowd are. Maybe they were expecting to see the Richard Gasquet match on Philippe Chatrier and they feel short-changed? There is a bit more energy about Nishikori in this game, hitting back to make it 30-30, and he has break point when Nadal goes wide, but he disappointingly hits the ball into the net, and loses the following two points to concede the game.

BREAK! Nadal plays a relentless first four points, giving Nishikori no room at the back of the court to attack, to bring up two break points. He then plays a fine defensive lob that his opponent can only hit long, and Nadal moves a set and a break ahead.

Nishikori takes the first point, and shows plenty of promise during the following rallies, but he still finds himself game point down. He then makes the mistake of leaving a Nadal passing shot, which drops into the far corner.

BREAK! That could be that for this set, as Nadal shows no mercy in romping to a love game on Nishikori's serve. Nishikori is showing some fine form in patches, but the left-hander is just too powerful for him to have a consistent impact.

Both players go for huge shots that just go wide, but Nadal pulls up a venomous forehand inside the baseline that Nishikori has no answer to. However, Nishikori replies with a magnificent winner of his own and we have 30-30, but it isn't enough to stop the 27-year-old sweeping to one game away from the second set.

SET! Nishikori looks almost casual in moving into a 30-15 lead in the game, smashing the ball on the run into the open court. Nadal is soon back on the offensive, driving a winner into the corner, but he goes long to hand Nishikori game point, but a big gust of wind contributes to Nadal making it deuce. After bringing up set point, Nadal sends another cross-court shot flying past his opponent to move one away from the quarter-finals.

You can't really see Nishikori coming back from two sets down against someone of Nadal's quality. I've no doubt his enthusiasm to compete will continue, but the defending champion's looks in imperious form right now, and he furthers his stranglehold on the match with a love-service hold.

As predicted, Nishikori remains eager to play his shots, and after losing the opener, he fights back with three points, keeping Nadal on the run, and he breaks the sequences of six games against him, much to the delight of the crowd.

This is a turn up for the books, as Nishikori stuns Nadal with a winning return for 0-30, but he makes two unforced errors to give away the advantage. Another mistake then hands Nadal game point and he seals the hold when his opponent nets on the stretch.

BREAK! Nadal moves to 0-30, but a nicely-worked point gets the number 13 seed back in the game. However, two more errors for Nishikori sees him concede the game in rapid style, and that could be that.

Nadal effortlessly takes the opening two points, but he fails to take the third after netting a volley. Nishikori then goes wide and long respectively on the next two points, and Rafa is probably 10 minutes away from sealing his place in the last eight.

Some brilliant tennis from Nishikori results in Nadal giving him a nod of appreciation on the second after a backhand catches the line. The Japanese player moves to game point, and after Nadal has struck another winner, Nishikori wins the game after the Spaniard nets a return.

The defending champion appears to be cruising at 30-0, but some aggressive hitting from Nishikori sees him take the next two points. However, he goes for too much on the following shot, and a weak effort into the net sees him having to serve to remain in the tournament.

Nishikori shows his ability in moving to 30-15, but he goes for a flashy forehand from the baseline, mis-cueing the ball into the crowd. He hangs tough, though, and he holds his serve.

MATCH! That's a big forehand from Nishikori on the opening point, but like it has been throughout the match, he can't follow it up. Nadal then plays a top-spin forehand past his opponent and he is two points from victory. The crowd are getting behind Nishikori, and he seems inspired in taking the next point, and he creates the chance to break with a fantastic return down the line, but he goes marginally long when attempting a winner. He can do nothing with a second serve and it is match point to Nadal, and he makes no mistake with a huge forehand down the line.

Nadal will be very pleased with that performance. It was by no means perfect, but it was a significant improvement to what he has produced in the opening of the tournament.

The major plus point for the 27-year-old was that he did not lose his serve throughout the match. That was partly down to his defensive skills, but it was also due to Nishikori failing to perform on the big points.

The Spaniard will now go on to face the winner from the match between Richard Gasquet and Stanislas Wawrinka.

That will be all for our tennis coverage this afternoon. Thank you for joining us, and be sure to return for the start of the quarter-finals tomorrow afternoon. Goodbye for now.