Top seed Rafael Nadal has reached the final of the Rome Masters courtesy of a 7-6(4), 6-3 victory over Novak Djokovic this afternoon.
In their 51st meeting but first in more than a year, Rafa’s court coverage eventually proved too much to handle for Djokovic.
After the match, Rafa said:
It was a tough match. Playing against him is always a challenge.
I played a couple of bad shots serving for the first set. Against him you always have to play at the limit of your game.
I needed to play aggressive with my forehand. When I didn’t do that is when I suffered.
This victory is a good confidence for me.
The King of Clay will now face either Alexander Zverev or Marin Cilic in Sunday’s final.
Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
Photo by Matteo Ciambelli/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
Photo by Matteo Ciambelli/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
Photo by Matteo Ciambelli/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
Photo by Matteo Ciambelli/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
Spain’s Rafael Nadal celebrates after winning the semi final match against Serbia’s Novak Djokovic at Rome’s ATP Tennis Open tournament at the Foro Italico, on May 19, 2018 in Rome. (Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE / AFP) (Photo credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images)
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
Photo by Matteo Ciambelli/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
Sources: AP, BBC
Winning against Novak is always very nice. So happy for you <3
Rafa from all accounts you did very well indeed.and all the best for the final.
Love and prayers,
AlaineXXSydneyXXAustraliaXX
Congrats my Rafa! So happy you won! Unfortunately couldn’t watch must was following the score.
Reading some comments I do hope you remain aggressive in all your matches and also start coming up to the net and volleying more! Watch your match and see how and where Novak got the better of you. He’s back! Outsmart him – that’s important!!!
May you go to win a lot more tournaments this year FO being the most important!!
VAMOS!
Yes, Rafa showed up to make the final. So happy for him in his SS win over Nole. Hoping for a blockbuster 2018 for the CHAMPION. Glad to learn that Moyá said Rafa’s confidence is intact.
RAFAMAZING RULES💪💪💪
Sweet win by our champ 🎾💪🏼😍
Congrats Rafa and the best of luck in the finals tomorrow ❤️🍀🤞🏻
VAMOOOS RAFA!! 😃👍🏻😘
WTA world No. 1 Simona Halep also made it to the final by beating doper Sharapova.
HALEP ROCKS
10x couse u like simona. She romanian as me. I am a hige rafa and simona fan. Good luck 4 both of them today. They both have tough matches.
I am very happy she won. Like Rafa, she is a fighter and I hope she wins the final. She will also stay at world No. 1 no matter what the outcome of tomorrow’s match.
RAFA+SIMONA=FIGHTERS
Mult noroc to Simona for tomorrow. Unlike a known doper, she is a clean player like Rafa. May they both have a victory tomorrow.
RAFAMAZING RULES
This page is about Rafa , no need to comment on the defeat of another player
Well said, Elisabeth!
Rafa congrats well don vamosssssssssssssssss champ tomorrow is your day Bravo good luck.🎾🎾🎾😍👍👍👍❤️🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
What a match! Especially the first set, titanic! Serving only 50% of the first serves against one of the best returners in the world, still managed to win the first set, what a fighter Rafa is! Congratulations to Rafa, his team, and all of us! Good luck tomorrow!!
Djokovic is definitely on the way back. It’ll make Rafa’s task harder, but good for tennis. He showed a lot of frustration during the match, but he did give Rafa a first serve in the first set, showing some good sportsmanship.
Rafa very well played match ,stay aggressive and go win championship
It’s always sweet to win against Djoker.
Vamos!
CONGRATZ to Rafa for taming the opposition. Great show of being a champion.
RAFAMAZING RULES
Some fantastic tennis , brilliant rallies and Rafa showed his class as a player and as a person . I had almost forgotten how vile Djokovic can be !! Great player but leaves a lot to be desired as a person .
Congratulations to a great champion Rafa and a top class person . Now to win his 8th Rome title to morrow . Vamos Rafaaaa😍🍀
Yes Elizabeth Howard I agree completely. Djokovicz can be great player but he certainly has one of the most, if not the most vile personality in the current tennis world.
Djokovicz does not deserve a hand shake but Rafa is a class person both on and off court and showed respect even to someone who did not earn it.
Wamos Rafa you are the best.
I am so happy. Rafa started slowly as he often does, but then he got stronger. He served poorly in the first set, but came on strong at the TB. In the second set, I thought Novak seemed to tire after Rafa broke. Novak played a great match, however, and he is getting closer to his old form. Only the last game was a sign that Novak’s stamina still needs work. While this felt like a final, Rafa needs to win tomorrow. I hope he can do it. I think Sascha will be his opponent then.
va4favre, re DelPo: Reem Abulleil, a sportswriter who was present at an ATP presser, asked JMDP why he had difficulty with clay in a clay-loving country such as Argentina. DelPo responded, “I don’t like to run.”
He still doesn’t know when he will be fit to play. According to test results he suffered a grade 1 groin injury. Sure wish he were fit.
RAFA ROCKS
Excellent from Rafa today,your confidence was high and you played with determination as always,I look forward to watching you in the final tomorrow,Vamos Rafa!!!!!
This is why these two would eventually be a better rivalry than the #FedAl.
Congrats Rafa!
Great match . Stunning indeed. Rafa was just a shade better . Incredible match . Vamos Rafa
Rafa much better