World number two Rafael Nadal was given a tough workout by Latvian teenager Ernests Gulbis before prevailing 5-7 6-2 7-6 6-3 in an absorbing second round tie at Wimbledon on Thursday.

The Spaniard, runner-up in 2006 and 2007 and seeded to meet five-times champion Roger Federer in the final again, came through an attritional battle against the 19-year-old on Court One.

Gulbis, the world-ranked 48 who reached the quarter-finals at the French Open, threatened to produce another shock after Wednesday’s departure of third seed Novak Djokovic by claiming the first set thanks to a dominating serve.