Rafael Nadal was given a thorough workout by Ernests Gulbis on the way to dispatching the Latvian 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 to book his place in the third round of Wimbledon.

The second seed predicted Gulbis would prove a handful and the little-known 19-year-old lived up to expectations by producing a display full of courage and skill. A booming serve and powerful forehand were his choice shots but there was also plenty of variety to the world No 48's game, marking him out as a star of the future.

Nadal's class and athleticism ultimately enabled him to negotiate a tricky hurdle on Court One and he meets Nicolas Kiefer, of Germany, in the next round.

Gulbis declared before the match he would not adopt the attitude of a "loser" and he was true to his word early in the first set. Nadal's service was being met with tenacious opposition as Gulbis - the youngest player currently in the top 50 - mixed some deft drops shots with precision strokeplay from the baseline.

The Mallorcan was infuriated in the 11th game when the umpire claimed the ball had bounced twice before it was returned, and he made his feelings known to the official.

Gulbis manoeuvred Nadal around expertly in the next game and even the Spaniard's athleticism could not prevent him conceding set point, which he hit long to lose the opening set.

The Latvian raced out the blocks in the second set but began forcing the pace in the third game and was broken as a result, with Nadal ruthlessly taking his chance. Errors continued to hamper Andy Murray's third-round victim at Queen's two weeks ago and he was broken again in the fifth game, hitting the net at the key moment.

The authority that marked Gulbis' play in the first set had deserted him and Nadal clinched the second to take control of the match. The Spaniard applied maximum spin on two shots that outfoxed Gulbis, who was providing formidable opposition once again. But the underdog could only watch in awe as Nadal produced a wristy crosscourt forehand in the seventh game to leave him stranded helplessly.

Nadal's speed around the court and ability to land seemingly-impossible shots was causing problems but Gulbis was responding magnificently to the challenge. The set went to a tie-break, where Nadal's class and greater experience told, with Gulbis firing long to nudge the Spaniard further ahead.

The fourth set became a battle of wills and it was Gulbis who cracked first, conceding two break points in the eighth. He returned wide to lose the second and Nadal made no mistake a game later, producing a sublime forehand that landed in the corner.