It was not quite the shot that was heard the world over. It silenced a small corner of Wimbledon, though. Rafa Nadal chased a ball wide on his forehand. The crowd switched off, realising the futility of the chase.

It was not quite the shot that was heard the world over. It silenced a small corner of Wimbledon, though. At 12.26pm Rafa Nadal chased a ball wide on his forehand. The crowd switched off, realising the futility of the chase. There was a silence into which one could have placed a Harold Pinter play. Then there was a slight gasp. Nadal had reached the ball.

A blink later, a yellow blur took a bounce past Robin Soderling. It must have been a cross-court forehand. It was impossible to tell.

All analysis was submerged in a tidal wave of noise.

Eight hours later the players scampered off with the match balanced on a precipice, Nadal leading 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 4-6, 2-0 (30-30). The rain had turned this match in to a shift. Nadal, though, could have cut it short by winning in three sets. On match point in the tie break, the world No.2 faced a simple forehand to win the match. It missed by inches. The sky cried. Nadal was not too pleased, either.

Soderling survived to return after the rain break at 7.30pm, break Nadal's service and win the set. Grasping the momentum, the Swede grabbed a break at 3-3 in the fourth to take that set before Nadal, smarting like a wasp who has missed his anger management class, broke Soderling in the first game of the fifth to leave the match unresolved at 8.20pm.

It was a collision that bruised both players. There seemed to be an atmosphere of conflict between the protagonists with Nadal being advised to hurry up between points and the Swede having a quiet word in the ear of the umpire.

The match, though, was sensational. The portents for an afternoon of drama were not good. A heavy sky seem to weigh down on Nadal who emerged cautiously on to Court One like a polar bear finding he had awoken from hibernation only to find he was in Benidorm high street.

He took some time to warm up. He struggled on his first service game before defying a break point. The shot of 12.26pm put him on his way to a break and the set. Nadal had the better of the three breaks in the second. Breaks were exchanged in the third before that sensational tie break.

This is the monochrome narrative. The colour was all in the watching. Soderling was more than defiantly competent. His serve was inconsistent but that may have been a result of the inventiveness and brilliance of some of Nadal's returns. His forehand was strong and reliable. His volleying, though, could be suspect under pressure. A set point was lost to a criminally careless overhead smash.

But he was resilient and defiant, slugging it out with the Spaniard on a series of breathtaking rallies. He escaped in the tie-break but was well worth the fourth set.

If Soderling was all business, Nadal was all animal power. He had the predatory instinct, too. His athleticism means he can chase down just about every ball. His talent ensures that he can survive, indeed prosper on the merest scraps.

He produced a highlights film of his own. There were a couple of drop shots that were so disguised they were unrecognisable from any coaching manual. There was a half-volley backhand from below the net that drew an Ole from a compatriot in the stand. There was a lob so ruthless in its execution that Nadal should have replaced his white bandana with a black cap.

Then there were the normal, routine Nadal shots. He regularly plays a forehand in a style borrowed from some meeting between Fred Astaire and Mike Tyson.

First the Spaniard steps back with a nifty step, before half-pirouetting, raising himself on to his toes and invoking Iron Mike with a punched shot that comes off the racket with a hiss.

Soderling did not stand in admiration. His shots had power and purpose.

He forced Nadal on to the back foot and, punching the air in celebration, seemed to be winning on points as the light faded and the fifth set dawned.

But Nadal is a champion. He rose from the floor and took the Swede's serve before holding his own. Then the rain came. The two will slug it out today but the Spaniard may just have taken the Swede's best shot.