Rafael Nadal has defeated David Ferrer in straight sets to get his ATP World Tour Finals campaign off to a winning start.
The world number remained largely in control for much of the 75-minute encounter, and he will be favourite to top the group after an impressive display.
The left-hander started slowly, but once in his stride, he dominated Ferrer's serve to break six times to record a 6-3 6-2 success.
Read below to see how the action unfolded at London's 02 Arena.
Hello, and welcome to Sports Mole's coverage of the match between Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer at the ATP World Tour Finals.
After Ferrer stunned Nadal in Paris last week, this match has the potential to a real ding-dong battle. Nadal will be eager to return to winning ways, while Ferrer will be going all out to prove to everyone that last week's triumph was no fluke.
Of course, competing for an extra day in France might not have done Ferrer much good ahead of what is expected to be a brutal encounter, this afternoon, but his confidence must be sky-high.
As for Nadal, one defeat is unlikely to have much effect on someone who has only lost six times during 2013. That's an incredible statistic for someone who needed to prove himself upon his return from ongoing knee problems. His standing at the top of the game was being questioned by pundits and supporters alike, but he has given them an answer in emphatic fashion.
The two players have made their entrance onto court at the 02 Arena. Nadal got an incredible ovation, and his participation at the this tournament is bound to mean a lot of him - he missed out in 2012, and he has yet to achieve success at the ATP World Tour Finals.
David Ferrer has won the toss, and he will serve first. It's going to be important for the Spanish number two to start with authority when he takes to the baseline in just a few minutes.
A quick stat for you before we get started - Ferrer is 2-0 over Nadal indoors, and 4-3 on hard courts. But you wasn't expecting this to be one-way traffic anyway, were you?
Are you ready? The two Spaniards have taken their respective positions. Here we go!
BREAK! Both players struggle to get into a rhythm during the opening three points, but Nadal comes out on top of the first lengthy baseline exchange. It's 30-30, and the left-hander brings up an early break point after Ferrer nets, and he makes no mistake in converting it. He moved Ferrer around the court, and although a couple of his forehands were mis-hit, they had enough on them to force the error.
BREAK! Wowzers, that's an aggressive reply from Ferrer, who bludgeons a forehand winner down the line on the first point, but Nadal replies with a couple of deep baseline shots that Ferrer miscues. However, successive Nadal mistakes give Ferrer the opportunity ot break back, and he does exactly that, sending a cross-court forehand marginally over the net, and Nadal can only net. Interesting start.
Ferrer looks to be coasting at 30-0, but after going long with a forehand, a wonderfully-timed backhand has too much juice on it and Ferrer nets. There are errors coming from both men, and it comes down to Ferrer making the least to secure a 2-1 advantage.
If you were being picky, who'd have to say that Ferrer has had the better of the first 15 minutes, but a couple of errors allow Nadal to easily move to 40-0. The world number three then nets to give the left-hander a hold to love.
BREAK! Ferrer gets lucky when a net-cord diverts the ball just over the net, but three more unforced errors gift Nadal two break points. I think I spoke too soon about Ferrer looking the better of the two Spaniards because he has just hooked a forehand wide to concede his second break of the match.
Nadal is warming to the task quite nicely now, and after Ferrer goes long of the baseline, he sends down the first ace of the match. Another glaring mistake from the world number three gives Nadal game point, and he consolidates the break when Ferrer frames a second-serve return.
This is a must-hold game for Ferrer, and while he finds the corner with a forehand winner, the mistakes are far too frequent and he can only reach 30-30. However, a comfortable put-away at the net, followed by a forehand mistake from Nadal, allows Ferrer to reduce the deficit.
Deary me, David. Ferrer sets up the perfect point, but inexplicably fires a forehand over the baseline. Nadal moves to 30-0, but Ferrer forces the left-hander to net on the next point. It's not enough to halt Nadal's momentum though, and the world number one smashes his way to within one game of the set.
SET! A quite damning service stat for Ferrer is that before this game, he had won just four points out of 14 behind his first serve, and that soon becomes four out of 17 after two mistakes and the most sublime of Nadal forehands. It's three set points to Nadal, and Ferrer tamely surrenders by drilling the ball long of the mark.
You get the feeling that Ferrer needs an immediate response to dent Nadal's confidence, but the usual zip in his play doesn't look there today on the first three points of the second set. However, a double fault from Nadal is followed by a booming Ferrer forehand and out of nowhere, we are at deuce. It's not enough to rattle Nadal, and another ace helps him to the game.
BREAK! Ferrer has problems on his serve at 15-30, but a soft backhand from his opponent let him back at 30-30. However, the world number three continues to look shaky and a double fault and a extremely generous forehand error concede the break, and Nadal looks on course for a quick victory here.
Ace number three gets the game off to a positive start for Nadal, but Ferrer offers signs of encouragement to his supporters with a superb return winner. Nadal then chips in with a double fault, but he replies with a serve into the body. We reach deuce, but Nadal quickly sees off any threat of a break of serve.
BREAK! Ferrer shows remarkable touch at the net to direct a half-volley into Nadal's part of the court, but he's forced to cancel out a mistake at 15-15 with a smash to get to 30-30. Ferrer brings up game point, but a double fault - his second of the match - takes us to deuce. A Nadal passing shot saves the game, and after taking the next point, he replicates the baseline winner to seal his second break of the game, and this match is almost done and dusted.
Nadal takes the opening point, but back-to-back return winners earn 15-30 for Ferrer. The duo trade the next two rallies, and Ferrer has a chance to earn one of the breaks back. However, he frames his return and the ball hits the top of the 02 Arena - that's some effort. Two points later, and Nadal is one away from an opening-game success.
Can Ferrer salvage some pride before a seemingly inevitable defeat? Nadal helps him out with a poor execution of a volley, and Ferrer's first ace of the match earn him three game points. He wastes the first, but Nadal fires long on the next, much to the delight of the London crowd who want value for the money that they paid for their tickets.
BREAK! Now then, a Nadal double fault and a Ferrer smash take the world number three to 15-30. Has he got something left in the tank? Ferrer then volleys into the open court and he has two break points. A passing shot then forces Nadal to net, and he is back to within three!
MATCH! An exquisite one-two and a deft volley at the net win the first two points for Ferrer, but he looks frustrated after throwing in a double fault. WOW! Ferrer looks in control of the next rally, but Nadal unleashes a ridiculous forehand down the line. It's 30-30, and Ferrer goes wide. MATCH POINT TO NADAL. And it's saved, as Nadal nets a return. The pair then trade forehands from the baseline, but Ferrer makes a second error. SECOND MATCH POINT TO NADAL, and this time, he takes it when Ferrer find the net.
RAFAEL NADAL BEATS DAVID FERRER IN STRAIGHT SETS
Rafael Nadal gets his ATP World Tour Finals off to a winning start with a comprehensive victory over David Ferrer. Ferrer started and ended the match the better of the two players, but Nadal was clincial when his chances arrived, and he deservedly won the match.
Ferrer didn't possess his usual energy this afternoon, and you have to wonder whether last week's excursions hindered his chances today. He will need to win his next match against Tomas Berdych.
That will be all from Sports Mole this afternoon. Thank you for joining us, and we hope that you return for the match between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer later today. Goodbye for now.
