Live Commentary: Rafael Nadal vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis - as it happened

Both players are on court and play is just minutes away here on Rod Laver Arena, where the roof is closed due to the Extreme Heat Rule beating enforced earlier in the day.

We all know who Rafael Nadal is, so here is a brief bit of information on his lesser-known opponent...

He is an Adelaide born 17-year-old with Greek heritage. He entered this tournament as a wildcard. Kokkinakis proved last year that wildcards can be very dangerous. As a WC, he reached the final of the Australian Open juniors tournament, beating 12th, second and 11th seeds on the way. He also reached the junior final at the US Open

Kokkinakis is currently ranked 570th in the ATP world rankings. He started this season in Brisbane, where he came through three qualifying rounds before losing 6-3 7-5 to former world number one Lleyton Hewitt.

That is all the pre-match info we have time for because the match is literally seconds away from starting. Nadal won the toss. Kokkinakis will serve first.

The youngster makes a confident start, winning the match's opening two points before holding to 30.

The home crowd get very excited as Kokkinakis cracks a forehand winner to move 0-15 ahead. Nadal then levels the game with an ace, but Kokkinakis moves ahead again when the Spaniard crashes a backhand into the net. 15-30.

Confident response from Rafa, who hits another two aces en route to holding to 30.

A well-executed forehand smash gives Kokkinakis the opening point of game three, before Nadal hits a lush forehand winner. Kokkinakis then donates an unforced error, followed by a double fault to hand TWO BREAK POINTS TO NADAL!

NADAL BREAKS! Kokkinakis closes the gap to 30-40 with a terrific backhand winner. However, his forehand misfires on the following point, handing the world number one a break to 30.

Kokkinakis is certainly going for his shots. The young man does not seem at all fazed by the occasion. Nadal holds to 15 and looks very comfortable with his opponent's approach, but, if the Aussie keeps playing the same way, he may well nick a break at some point today, which would a great memento to take away.

Kokkinakis holds to 40 and stays in touch with Nadal in this opening set, which is 22 minutes old.

Rafa holds to love, closing the game out with glorious back-to-back forehand winners.

RAFA BREAKS! The Spaniard takes game seven to 15, hitting a stunning forehand pass in the process. He will now serve for the opening set.

FIRST SET NADAL! Rafa rattles in four unstoppable winners as he holds to love, sealing the opening set after 33 minutes.

Here are the vital statistics from the first set...

Total points won
Nadal: 30
Kokkinakis: 16

Winners
Nadal: 16
Kokkinakis: 7

Unforced errors
Nadal: 3
Kokkinakis: 8

Net points
Nadal: 4/4
Kokkinakis: 1/1

Aces
Nadal: 3
Kokkinakis: 2

Double faults
Nadal: 0
Kokkinakisi: 1

Receiving points won
Nadal: 14/27 (52%)
Kokkinakis: 3/19 (16%)

Despite winning the opening two points of the second set, Kokkinakis quickly finds himself down break point. The teenager saves it, but Rafa earns himself another straight away with a crisp forehand winner. The Spaniard then BREAKS when his opponent's crosscourt pass lands marginally wide.

Rafa gets a bit too comfortable. He produces two horrible forehands and, all of a sudden, Kokkinakis has TWO BREAK POINTS at 15-40.

Rafa lands three big first serves to save both break points and reach advantage. A slight blip then occurs as he misses a first serve and loses the point by thrashing another wayward forehand. However, two more first serves do the job as he holds to 40.

Excellent response from Kokkinakis, who puts his failed break attempt behind him by holding to love.

UPDATE: Play is now back underway on the outside courts, where proceedings had been halted under the Extreme Heat Rule

Nadal's fifth ace of the match seals game four as he holds to 30.

Rafa's forehand has gone off the boil a bit in this set. It misfires twice in game five, helping Kokkinakis hold to 30.

The Spaniard's forehand continues to falter as he fails the second part of a serve-and-volley routine by blasting a smash wide. 0-15.

Rafa gets back to 30-30, but Kokkinakis then lands a sweet forehand winner that wrong-foots the world number one and brings up the teenager's third BREAK POINT of the second set.

Once again, Nadal quickly and ruthlessly extinguishes his opponent's hopes of a break. His forehand comes good as he holds to 40.

Just as he did earlier in the set, Kokkinakis reacts well to missing break point by holding serve comfortably - this time to 15.

Rafa holds to 30. Kokkinakis will now serve with new balls to stay in the second set.

Much to the audible delight of the crowd, Kokkinakis makes those new balls work for him, delivering his third ace of the match to seal a hold to 15.

Nadal's attempted kick serve does not have enough height on it to beat 6' 4" Kokkinakis, who moves 0-15 ahead with a piercing crosscourt forehand winner.

Normal service is resumed as Nadal serves wide to Kokkinakis's backhand and the Aussie youngster is unable to get the ball back into court on three occasions. TWO SET POINTS!

SECOND SET NADAL! The Spaniard nails a forehand winner and holds to 15 to take a two-set lead after 81 minutes.

Statistics from the second set, which, as you can see, was much closer than the first...

Total points won
Nadal: 33
Kokkinakis: 32

Winners
Nadal: 11
Kokkinakis: 8

Unforced errors
Nadal: 13
Kokkinakis: 7

Net points
Nadal: 5/8
Kokkinakis: 4/5

Aces
Nadal: 2
Kokkinakis: 1

Double faults
Nadal: 0
Kokkinakisi: 0

Receiving points won
Nadal: 9/28 (32%)
Kokkinakis: 13/37 (35%)

The end is nigh for Kokkinakis as NADAL BREAKS to 15 at the start of the third set.

Sealed with an ace: Rafa backs up his break by holding to 15. Many tennis players believe in the importance of mixing up their serves in order to unsettle and confuse their opponents. Nadal isn't bothering to vary his today - he doesn't need to. He continues to serve wide to the Kokkinakis backhand, which simply can't cope. The Aussie is clearly frustrated because he knows what is coming, but he just can't do anything to stop it.

Credit to Kokkinakis, who SAVES BREAK POINT before holding to 40 thanks to two massive forehand winners. Rafa has never looked under threat of losing today, but the Spaniard has been tested more by the 17-year-old, who is ranked 570th in the world remember, than he has by some of his top-10 opponents in the past.

Nadal holds to love.

Another impressive game from Kokkinakis, who hits two smashed forehand winners and an ace en route to holding to 15. Considering that he is just 17, this lad has surely got a big future ahead of him; top-20 potential at the very least on this week's evidence.

Nadal holds to love again, meaning that he has lost just one of 13 service points in this third set.

Rafa's forehand seems to be fixed now. It provides three winners in game seven, as the Spaniard BREAKS to 15. He will now serve for a place in round three.

GAME SET AND MATCH NADAL! Rafa hits his 19th and 20th forehand winners, sandwiched either of his first double fault. He holds to 15 as Kokkinakis plunders a backhand into the net. Final score: 6-2 6-4 6-2.

Rafa, who will play either Jack Sock or Gael Monfils in round three, has just paid tribute to Kokkinakis. He said: "I really think he has fantastic potential, with a great serve and a fantastic forehand. I was very impressed and I wish him all the best for the future."

That's it from me for today. I'll leave you with the final match statistics...

Total points won
Nadal: 91
Kokkinakis: 61

Winners
Nadal: 39
Kokkinakis: 21

Unforced errors
Nadal: 19
Kokkinakis: 24

Net points
Nadal: 11/14
Kokkinakis: 8/10

Aces
Nadal: 7
Kokkinakis: 4

Double faults
Nadal: 1
Kokkinakisi: 3

Receiving points won
Nadal: 35/78 (45%)
Kokkinakis: 18/74 (24%)