Rafael Nadal speaks. “It was a tough match, of course, playing against him [Novak] is always a big challenge. He played well, and it’s always the same against him; when you go down a little bit in level, he is always there and you are in big trouble. I needed to play aggressive with my forehand, that’s when I felt I was a little more in control.
The Spaniard will face Marin Cilic or Alexander Zverev, who meet later, on Sunday. “I need to be ready to play my best tomorrow. This victory today is a big confidence for me. This tournament has been very positive for me after last week in Madrid. To come back to a final, I’m very happy.”
Thanks a lot for your company this afternoon. That was some match-up, a riveting game between two heavyweights, teeming with some brilliant tennis. Kevin Mitchell’s report from Rome will appear below shortly:
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Rafael Nadal beats Novak Djokovic 7-6, 6-3!
The first evaded him but a second match point was too good to turn down for Nadal, who plays a punishing forehand down the line. Victory is his, in another classic meeting between two titans of tennis. Nadal is into the Italian Open final, and he has a chance of his eighth title in Rome.
Second set: Nadal* 7-6, 5-3 Djokovic (*denotes server): Nadal, unusually, plays a couple of wasteful shots, with Djokovic only too happy to gobble them up. But a revved up Nadal fights back with a thumping forehand in a rally of sublime shot-making to nip into a 40-30 lead. And then – how about this? A double fault by Nadal gifts Djokovic back in at deuce. Nadal nudges himself in front but, of course, the Serb comes up with one of those roaring forehands to peg Nadal back. A third deuce comes and goes for Djokovic and, after 10 minutes, Nadal eventually clinches it. Wow.
Second set: Nadal 7-6, 4-3 Djokovic* (*denotes server): Djokovic is determined not to roll over but he must feel like it at times. Nadal plays a storming backhand, enough to get the seal of approval from the Serb, via a thumbs-up. But Djokovic has no plans of going anywhere just yet.
Second set: Nadal* 7-6, 4-2 Djokovic (*denotes server): Nadal is proving a real monster out there, an omnipotent, unforgiving force out on centrale. He now races into 40-0 to restore his two-game lead.
Second set: Nadal 7-6, 3-2 Djokovic* (*denotes server): A couple of big forehands earn Djokovic a lifeline in a game in which he looked really up against it. He almost surrenders it too but Nadal’s lob runs too long, beyond the baseline and Djokovic has a chance.
Second set: Nadal* 7-6, 3-1 Djokovic (*denotes server): Nadal starts as he means to go on, with a thumping smash to take 15-0. His next serve is too hot for Djokovic to handle but, while his third is rasping, the Serb digs deep to produce a stunning backhand return. He earned that, but moved level at 30-30 after Nadal’s wild forehand – his first miscue of the set. But, these are just bumps in the road. Nadal takes it.
Second set: Nadal 7-6, 2-1 Djokovic* (*denotes server): Nadal plays a magnificent, dipping volley over the net to tee up the first of three break points. And when Djokovic strikes long, Nadal turns the screw to clinch it.
Second set: Nadal* 7-6, 1-1 Djokovic (*denotes server): A flurry of gorgeous shots, shifting Djokovic from one side of the court to another, see Nadal move into the distance. He plays a wonderful searching backhand and that’s sufficient to pull level.
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Second set: Nadal 7-6, 0-1 Djokovic* (*denotes server): After an exceptional tie-break of tennis, Djokovic’s first serve is horribly wide. He was livid after failing to get over the line in the first set, and presumably still seething. Nevertheless, he skips into a 0-40 lead with his third ace of the afternoon. Nadal can’t return his final serve and that, at least, was easy.
Rafael Nadal wins first set 7-6!
Seventy-one minutes of world-class tennis, and it’s Nadal who eventually edges it. Can Novak Djokovic, who invested a lifetime of energy into that marathon set, bring it back? A wonderful, stunning set of tennis finishes 7-4 on the tie-break.
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First set tie-break: Nadal 6-4 Djokovic* (*denotes server): For a moment, it seemed Djokovic would get a slice of luck but his forehand teeters on the net before tumbling back on his side. Big point ...
First set tie-break: Nadal* 5-4 Djokovic (*denotes server): A punishing crosscourt backhand sees Djokovic grind the gap back to a point.
First set tie-break: Nadal* 5-3 Djokovic (*denotes server): Nadal has Djokovic on the ropes and the latter subsequently hangs a forehand long.
First set tie-break: Nadal* 4-3 Djokovic (*denotes server): A timely moment for Nadal to play a 144mph beauty down the angle.
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First set tie-break: Nadal 3-3 Djokovic* (*denotes server): This has been some six points, a ridiculous love affair of tennis on centrale. More to come yet too ...
First set tie-break: Nadal* 3-2 Djokovic (*denotes server): The Serb swoops down the line, tight to the sideline, and he perfects it to hit back.
First set tie-break: Nadal* 3-1 Djokovic (*denotes server): Nadal, this time, dips into the reserve tank to return, return, and keep on returning, slamming a forehand down the court with Djokovic powerless.
First set tie-break: Nadal 2-1 Djokovic* (*denotes server): Nadal delves into the back catalogue to deliver a rasping, relentless backhand.
First set tie-break: Nadal 1-1 Djokovic* (*denotes server): Level-pegging.
First set tie-break: Nadal 0-1 Djokovic* (*denotes server): Nadal gets his forehand volley all wrong, it’s clumsy and gifts Djokovic the lead – for now.
First set: Nadal 6-6 Djokovic* (*denotes server): Nadal initally lures Djokovic in to the net as he fights to stay in it to earn 15-0. Djokovic then responds with a galling volley with Nadal still recovering. The Spaniard seems to run of steam with a flat forehand and Djokovic rises once more. His subsequent forehand down the line brings him to 15-40 before sealing a sublime game with a neat backhand. When the pressure was on, he made it look easy. We go to a tie-break, then.
First set: Nadal* 6-5 Djokovic (*denotes server): Nadal badly needed that. Djokovic will have to serve to stay in the set again.
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First set: Nadal 5-5 Djokovic* (*denotes server): Djokovic hammers his first forehand into the tennis equivalent of Row Z. He’s not happy about that but takes the second point, a calm volley to move to 15-15. A sweet backhand then puts Nadal in trouble, in turn wrong-footing the Spaniard. Three games in a row for the Serb.
First set: Nadal* 5-4 Djokovic (*denotes server): Nadal has Djokovic moving and shaking to get to 15-0 and an error from the Spaniard sees him welly a shot into the net. A thunderous rally then ends with Djokovic getting lucky after a bruising point, with his volley bumbling off the net and on to the clay. And, this time, Djokovic breaks Nadal’s serve. This is already proving quite an epic contest.
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First set: Nadal 5-3 Djokovic* (*denotes server): Nadal skips into a 15-0 lead when Djokovic strikes the net but he does not have it all his own way. Djokovic runs away with it, with a fine forehand from the baseline to boot.
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First set: Nadal* 5-2 Djokovic (*denotes server): Breathtaking tennis, irresistible stuff brings Djokovic to 0-30 and the crowd up on their feet. A swirling backhand, a couple of Nadal saves, an amazing get, but then Djokovic comes up with another wondrous effort. A ridiculous rally. And yet Nadal recovers to take the game – truly magnificent from the Spaniard.
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First set: Nadal 4-2 Djokovic* (*denotes server): Nadal strokes a beautiful forehand up the line and then Djokovic’s attempt to cut one short is flawed as it ripples the net. Just as Nadal looks to seize control at 30-0, Djokovic comes up trumps with a bending, dipping forehand and then another stunning winner, an arcing backhand. His next forehand is wide but he snatches a brilliant rally to pull him to deuce; two geniuses are at work. But, eventually, Nadal punishes Djokovic’s long shot to take it.
First set: Nadal* 3-2 Djokovic (*denotes server): It’s a little windy out on centrale, with Djokovic’s flailing back hand running long. Nadal strides into a 40-15 lead, with a thirsty forehand teeing up game-point. A series of sharp shots, after his serve was found to be in by Djokovic, clinches it. A classy touch by Djokovic, very sportsmanlike, to point out Nadal’s first serve was, in fact, not a fault.
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First set: Nadal 2-2 Djokovic* (*denotes server): Djokovic’s looping forehand plays into Nadal’s hands, but his survival instincts are enough to eke into a 0-30 lead. His delightful backhand drop shot wraps up the game with a degree of swagger. That was simply exquisite. Level-pegging.
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First set: Nadal* 2-1 Djokovic (*denotes server): Nadal’s father, Sebastian, and uncle, Miguel Angel, the former Barcelona footballer, both approve of two marvellous recovery shots, as the Spaniard grinds through the gears to 40-0. A double fault proves only a minor blip as Nadal takes the third game, with his next serve too much for Djokovic. The Serb looks a little startled, though it’s still early days of course.
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First set: Nadal 1-1 Djokovic* (*denotes server): A wild Nadal forehand gifts Djokovic a 0-15 lead. From there the Serb powers to 0-40, with a cute volley at the net. A rasping, swooning ace takes the game. Lovely.
First set: Nadal* 1-0 Djokovic (*denotes server): Nadal’s first serve is straight into the net and his subsequent forehand long. Then Djokovic overpowers his return to take it to 15-15. Djokovic seems to have settled the quicker, with a striking forehand down the line and then Nadal can only find the net. Djokovic looks in the mood, his stamina strong in the rally but he squanders two break points. Nadal slams a backhand over to gain advantage and then his serve proves too strong.
“Novak will have to summon up the spirits of the Gladiators to have a chance against Maximus Nadal Emperor of Clay,” tweets John McEnerney. “A three-setter would be great but Novak mightn’t have too much left in the tank after the last round, Rafa to march on to the final.”
Nadal wins the toss and elects to serve. Renaud Lichtenstein, the Frenchman, is the man in the chair.
Nadal and Djokovic step out on to the court to much ovation, these two always draw a crowd. It’s a beautiful sunny afternoon in Rome. The coin toss will be upon us any second and then we’ll be off ...
Not long now until Nadal and Djokovic renew their rivalries on the centrale clay in Rome. It is 53 weeks, 371 days, 8,904 hours and 534,240 minutes since they last met, in Madrid, last year. That straight sets win ended a seven-match losing streak for the Spaniard against Djokovic:
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Pre-match viewing, courtesy of an angry Karolina Plíšková:
Pre-match reading, courtesy of Kevin Mitchell in Italy:
It seems odd that Rafael Nadal’s domination on clay in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Paris has not been so evident in Rome, where he has a mere seven titles and last appeared in the semi-finals four years ago. Still, he will hardly complain and he will be mightily happy if he wins on Sunday as it will haul him back to No 1 in the world above the absent Roger Federer.
The man he defeated 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 on Friday to reach the semi‑finals, Fabio Fognini, will afford the Spaniard little sympathy if he falls short. This was Fognini’s first quarter-final at his home tournament at the 13th attempt and he must have thought he could go further, or even all the way, when he came from 4-1 down in the first set to send Roman tennis fans into a frenzy on a perfect summer’s day.
Preamble
A royal meeting, a 51st between the pair, on centre court between two tennis heavyweights – Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. The Spanish world No 2 overcame Fabio Fognini to reach the last four in Rome, with Djokovic fighting from a set down to beat Kei Nishikori in a marathon quarter-final win en route to here. This match is the first duel between the two since Nadal got the better of Djokovic in Madrid last summer. “He is one of the best in history, no doubt,” Nadal said of the former world No 1. “I am not like those [players] who say ‘yes, I want to measure myself with him’. To be honest, I prefer not to play against him.” The final takes place on Sunday, against the winner of Marin Cilic’s tie with the defending champion, Alexander Zverev.
Play begins: circa 2pm (BST)
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