The 11-time grand-slam champion responded like he has done on so many occasions over the years, sealing an eighth consecutive victory over the world number six to move one win away from claiming his sixth title of the year.
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The Scot will next face either Novak Djokovic, who beat him in last week’s Madrid Open final, or Kei Nishikori.
The match, which lasted one hour and 35 minutes in light rain, was ordered to continue by the umpire after Djokovic reportedly indicated the playing surface was becoming too risky.
Nadal wasted five set points in the second set of an encounter that went almost 2 1/2 hours. I got what I was looking for, which is lot of matches.
“I don’t remember winning any matches, really, on my birthday which isn’t a great sign”, said the soon-to-be 29-year-old.
Top seeds Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are the last two standing after Saturday’s semi-finals at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
“I didn’t see any reason why we couldn’t stop the game for a little bit until we get the court in a proper condition to play”, the top-ranked Serb commented.
In the meantime, Murray plans to rest and celebrate his birthday with his wife Kim and three-month-old daughter Sophia, who were with him in Rome.
In the women’s draw, three-time champion Serena Williams said she can not wait after setting up the first all-US women’s clay-court final in 14 years.
He broke serve once in the first set and twice in the second in Rome to win in one hour and 35 minutes and he broke the world number one early in the first set, leaving Djokovic, reports the same post.
“Regardless of who I play in the final, I know I will be pushed hard”.
Should she go on to beat Keys tomorrow, Williams will lay down a marker ahead of the French Open, the second Grand Slam of the year, where she will attempt to equal Steffi Graf of Germany’s record of 22 singles titles in the Open era.
His deserved 6-3 6-3 victory in the final of the Rome Masters was only his second over the World No.1 in their 14 meetings since the 2013 Wimbledon final.
I won the French Open three times and in those years I didn’t win a clay-court tournament leading up to the event.
The majority of the final was played in the rain and Djokovic complained on a number of occasions that he was anxious that the court was too slippery, but he was gracious in defeat after the final and was quick to pay credit to his opponent.
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In the WTA rankings, Agnieszka Radwanska returns to second place meaning she will be placed in the opposite half of the draw to Serena Williams at the French Open.
