Nadal through to final after thrilling win over Djokovic

ROME: A rampant Rafa Nadal turned on the style to beat his old rival and former world number one Novak Djokovic 7-6(4) 6-3 in Rome yesterday, reaching his first Italian Open final since 2014.

The meeting, an openera record 51st been the two adversaries, was played out in typically thrilling fashion, with Djokovic putting in his best performance since returning from a long-term elbow injury.

“Playing against him is always a big challenge,” Nadal said.

“He played well, and it’s always the same against him. When you go down a little bit in level, he’s 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.”

Fortunate

Djokovic made the stronger start as Nadal struggled to get his first serves in early on, the Spaniard coughing up two break points in the opening game that his opponent squandered.

Inevitably, Nadal pounced a few games later, breaking Djokovic to go 4-2 up before the Serb rode his forehand to a stunning recovery.

Djokovic, a four-times champion in Rome, was helped by a fortunate touch off the net cord that gave him two break points, and he converted for 5-4 in the set before holding serve again to draw level.

Nadal started the tiebreak like he started the match, as a poor forehand volley handed Djokovic the initiative, but the Spaniard won the next two points on his opponent’s serve to retake control.

Djokovic clawed his way back to 3-3 but cracked after an unlucky touch off the tape sent a forehand back onto his side of the net to put Nadal

6-4 up, and the Spaniard duly wrapped up the set on the Serb’s serve in 71 minutes.

Nadal carried his momentum into the second set, winning 10 of 11 points in a blur of viciously swerving forehands and clubbed backhands that brought him an early break and a 2-1 lead in the decider.

Djokovic still showed an appetite to fight back, forcing Nadal to three deuces in the eighth game of the second set before the Spaniard carved out a hold.

That failure ended the Serb’s resistance and Nadal won in style on his opponent’s serve, striking a punishing forehand down the line to claim victory.

Defending champion Alexander Zverev met fourth seed Marin Cilic in the other semi-final later yesterday.

Defending champion Elina Svitolina reached the final in Rome after putting in a clinical performance to beat unseeded Estonian Anett Kontaveit 6-4 6-3.

The Ukrainian fourth seed bided her time and struck at key moments in the match in a display that bodes well for her chances at the French Open later this month.

The 22-year-old Kontaveit offered stiff resistance, hitting 24 winners to Svitolina’s 18, but her opponent converted four of her five break point opportunities while making seven fewer unforced errors in a contest of very tight margins.

Svitolina, who beat former world number one Angelique Kerber in the quarter-finals, started well, breaking early in the first set to go 2-0 up, but Kontaveit held her nerve to take the next three games and edge in front.

Delicate

With the opener tied at

3-3, Svitolina made her move, coming to the net behind a deep cross-court forehand and displaying a delicate touch to guide a volley into the open court and coax another break point from her opponent that she converted.

The 23-year-old then saved two break points on her own serve and held on to take the opener.

With Svitolina’s speed proving decisive, Kontaveit was forced to mix things up, but the baseliner’s touch deserted her at times in the second set, allowing the speedy Ukrainian to run down a couple of poorly disguised drop shots.

The world number four rode her forehand to an early break in the second set, taking a 2-1 lead, and won on her opponent’s serve, converting her second match point with a thunderous deep forehand that left Kontaveit flailing.

World number one Simona Halep played Russian Maria Sharapova in the other semifinal.