Darkness falls as Rafael Nadal finishes his practice session in the California desert town of Indian Wells. He's sitting courtside surrounded by his coach, his physio and his practice partner when the opponent he'll face later tonight, David Nalbandian, heads on to the same court, followed by his coach, his physio and his practice partner. Physically, the players are opposites: Nadal's golden-umber skin, deep-set inky eyes and prominent cheekbones evoke 19th-century paintings of Mayan chiefs; Nalbandian's blond ponytail, long stubble and messianic blue eyes recall a pirate on an extended binge.

Nalbandian saunters over to Nadal, his insistent machismo lending the meeting of the two camps the air of the Jets confronting the Sharks, but with high fives all round. Nadal is friendly and polite, but he's subdued, probably because of his history with Nalbandian, who is known as King David in his native Argentina and is a strike-first player who can beat anybody when he's in the mood, which he isn't all that much.

Still, in the past two years Nalbandian is the only man to have developed a winning record over Nadal, who is ranked world number one. Nalbandian has beaten the Spaniard convincingly in the two matches they've played. In this third encounter, at the BNP Paribas Open, Nadal has a lot at stake. If he loses, it means there's an opponent out there who has figured him out.

In the locker room, Nadal goes through his standard pre-match drill. He showers, gets his ankles taped, gets taped below his knees. He ties on his headband, puts on headphones and listens to Spanish pop and The Phantom of the Opera while jogging and jumping on the spot.

Shortly after 11pm he enters the arena, emerging apparition-like through the haze of desert heat. The court is his domain, the realm he commands, but tonight the intimidation factor belongs to Nalbandian. Nadal plays defensively, allowing Nalbandian to take the first set. Late in the second set, the pro-Nadal crowd sinks into mute apprehension when he butchers a service game and gives Nalbandian a match point. Nadal fends it off, then fends off three more as fans erupt with fervid cries of "Vamos Rafa!" When Nadal snuffs out a fifth match point with a ferocious backhand winner the crowd goes wild, which is saying something when you're playing in a retirement community and it's 1 o'clock in the morning.




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