When action resumed at 8:23 p.m., it already was tough to see, and the players traded service holds until 7-7. That's where Nadal finally broke through, as Federer's forehand really began to break down. A forehand into the net gave Nadal his fourth break point, and a forehand long conceded the game, the first break of serve by either man since the second set.

Nadal still had to serve out the match, though, and he still had to avoid the sort of nerves Federer noticed when his opponent led 5-2 in the fourth-set tiebreaker.

"I played terrible there," said Nadal, who double-faulted to 5-3.

Down 6-5, Federer erased a match point with a 127 mph (204 kph) service winner. Down 8-7, again, one point from losing, Federer hit a backhand passing winner.

A forehand winner put Federer ahead 9-8, and when Nadal missed a backhand return, the match was even. Federer jumped and screamed, and the crowd of about 15,000 joined him.

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