Holder Novak Djokovic took advantage of Roger Federer’s slump after a rain break to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 on Saturday to set up a Rome Masters final against Rafael Nadal.
Nadal powered past Chilean 12th seed Fernando Gonzalez 6-3, 6-3.
“He’s going to be the favorite to win again,” the third-ranked Djokovic told reporters. “But I have my chances especially after the great performance in Monte Carlo [last month].”
“I learned I have to play every point against him,” said the Serb who took Nadal to three sets in the Monte Carlo Masters final.
“That’s what I’m going to try to do tomorrow. Physically prepare to be ready to play long rallies and wait for the chances,” he said.
Second seed Federer, yet to win a title this year, looked to be cruising when leading 6-4, 2-1 but rain then stopped play for about an hour.
The Swiss broke in the ninth game when Djokovic, whose concentration had been disturbed by a spectator whistling just as he was about to take his second serve, hit a forehand long.
Federer went on to claim the first set before breaking the 21-year-old Serb again at the start of the second.
He had chances to go 3-0 and 4-1 up either side of the rain break before wild shots helped Djokovic force a third set.
The third seed then charged back from a break down in the decider.
“I feel this is not a match I should have given away because [I was a] break up in the second, break up in the third and I usually don’t give away opportunities like this,” Federer said.
“I was playing him well, serving well when I had to and putting him under pressure. The rain delay came at a perfect moment for him but he might have come back anyway and beat me,” he said.
Djokovic agreed the interruption helped him turn things around.
“Obviously everybody will say the rain helped me,” the Serb said. “It’s a fact. I played much better after the break.”
“I started being more patient, moving much better, giving him more balls back and making him play more,” he said.
Gonzalez pulled off the rare feat of breaking Nadal to love to rally after losing his serve early on.
However the Spaniard produced a fierce reaction, winning the next six games on his way to victory.
“I’m very happy. It was certainly a very good result against a tough opponent like Fernando,” Nadal said. “I’ll have to be playing at 100 percent to have a good chance of winning [the final].”
“He’s going to play aggressively, I think, because that’s his game. I have to play aggressively with my forehand and try to have control of the points,” he said.
“If I don’t do that it’s going to be really difficult because if he is attacking it is really tough to play against Novak,” Nadal said.
SSC Napoli will have to wait one more week to seal the Serie A title after on Sunday being held to a goalless draw at Parma, while closest rivals Inter drew 2-2 in a dramatic game with SS Lazio. Antonio Conte’s team stayed one point ahead of Inter and were unfortunate not to win after twice striking the woodwork through Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Matteo Politano, while Scott McTominay also had a free-kick tipped onto the crossbar. The away side thought they would be handed a chance to take the points from the penalty spot in the 96th minute when David Neres
A stunning Lamine Yamal strike on Thursday helped crown Barcelona La Liga champions with a 2-0 win over local rivals RCD Espanyol, with victory ensuring Real Madrid cannot catch them at the top of the table. Yamal’s effort and Fermin Lopez’s goal took Hansi Flick’s side seven points clear of Los Blancos with two matches remaining, to clinch Barcelona’s 28th title and complete a superb domestic treble. Only the UEFA Champions League title escaped an exciting young Barca side this season, as they won the league for the second time in six years, at Espanyol’s ground again just as in 2022-2023. Back then,
Jannik Sinner on Thursday marched into the semi-finals of the Italian Open after destroying Casper Ruud in straight sets 6-0, 6-1, while Coco Gauff won a marathon three-set battle with China’s Zheng Qinwen to advance to the women’s singles final. American Gauff is to face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in today’s title match after pulling through 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) in a match that lasted over three-and-a-half hours. Ruud was supposed to be Sinner’s toughest test in Rome since he came back from his three-month doping ban, as the Norwegian came into the match in hot form on clay after winning in
Omar Marmoush’s stunning long-range strike on Tuesday upstaged Kevin de Bruyne on the Manchester City great’s Etihad farewell. Marmoush let fly from about 30m to put City ahead in their 3-1 win against AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League. The victory moved Pep Guardiola’s team up to third in the standings and left qualification for the UEFA Champions League in their own hands heading into the last round of the season. “It’s really important. To be in the Champions League after what happened [this season] will be really nice,” the City manager said. De Bruyne was making his final home appearance for City before
RSS