TMS Roma (Final)
Eurosport
May 8, 2024
21:01 Thanks for joining us on eurosport.com!!
21:00 After more than five hours on court, Nadal sinks to the ground and stares to heaven.. what an incredible performace!!
20:59 THIS TIME NADAL DOES IT!!! Coria even had a smash to get back on level terms, but he struck it straight at Nadal.. and when the Argentine put a volley long.. it was all over!!
20:59 Nadal manages to gain another match point courtesy of some bludgeoning groundstrokes to both corners.. Coria scampers everywhere, digging deep, but he can't match the Spaniard for power... 7-6
20:57 NO!!!! Nadal double faults and Coria is back in it at 6-6!! What drama!!
20:55 NADAL MISSES THE FIRST ONE BUT NOW SERVES FOR THE MATCH ON HIS SECOND MATCH POINT!!!!
20:54 OOOOUUUUUUUUHHHHHH!!!!! DOUBLE M%ATCH POINT FOR NADAL!!! HUGE MISTAKE FROM CORIA ON THIS FOREHAND!!!!
20:53 UNBELIEVABLE POINT FROM BOTH PLAYERS WITH CORIA DEFENDING PERFECTLY...5-4..
20:53 5-3...Coria is not dead yet...
20:52 Coria comes back to 5-2 but Nadal has now two serves to clinch the match...
20:51 Mistake from Coria on his backhand...5-1...
20:50 4-1 Nadal...It smells good for the Spaniard...
20:49 3-1 Nadal...
20:48 NADAL WINS THE SECOND POINT ON CORIA'S SERVE AND NOW LEADS 2-0...
20:47 1-0 TO NADAL...
20:46 TIE BREAK THEN...
20:45 CORIA DRAWS LEVEL WITH A FANTASTIC LOB!!!!6-6...
20:45 5 HOURS OF PLAY...UNBELIEVABLE...
20:43 MATCH POINT NADAL!!!!!! BEAUTIFULLY SAVED BY CORIA!!!!
20:43 Nadal's turn to make an unforced error...30-30..
20:42 15-30 to Nadal....Big mistake from Coria on his backhand and the Spaniard is two points off victory...
20:38 6-5 to Nadal and Coria is under pressure again...Both players are giving everything they have...
20:31 Coria is solid!!!! He wins his serve to 30 in authoritative manner and equalises to 5-5...
20:29 Nadal hangs on to his serve and Coria has the pressure on now as he is about to serve to stay in the match!!!!!! 5-4!!!
20:25 Break point Coria!!! Saved by Nadal!!!
20:21 Coria wins his serve to fifteen and is baclk to 4-4...The crowd is going bezerk as the tension is rising immensely!!!
20:17 4-3 Nadal....Fourth game in a row for the Spaniard who finally managed to hang on to his serve...
20:16 Advantage Nadal...He commits a double fault anhd back to deuce...
20:14 Nadal was 40-0 on his serve but Coria has fought back and the players are now tied to deuce...
20:08 DOUBLE BREAK POINT FOR NADAL NOW!!!! HE HITS HIS SHOTS AS HIS LIFE DEPENDED ON IT AND IT WORKS!!!!! NADAL LEVALS AT 3-3!!!! ENORMOUS REACTION FROM THE 18-YEAR OLD!!!
20:03 GAME NADAL!!! HE COMES BACK TO 3-2!!! IT IS NOT OVER YET!!!
19:58 BREAK POINT NADAL!!!!! AND HE DOES IT!!!!! AN AMAZING DROP SHOT FROM THE SPANIARD AND HE IS BACGK TO 3-1!!!! UNBELIEVABLE COURAGE FROM NADAL!!!!
19:49 Two double break points for Coria as Nadal looks exhausted...The first one is bravely saved by the Spaniard with a perfect forehand down the line...But the second is the right one for Coria..Nadal nets a forehand and Coria is 3-0 up!!!
19:45 We have reached the 4 hour mark!!!! And after several deuces, Coria finally confirms his break and now leads 2-0...
19:42 Deuce on Coria's serve after two unusual unforced erros from the Argentine...
19:37 Break point for Coria...NADAL SENDS HIS BACKHAND OUT AND THE ARGENTINNE TAKES THE LEAD IN THE DECISIVE SET!!!
19:33 Nadal serves first in this final set...
19:29 Second set point for Coria!!! AND HE DOES IT!!! NADAL NETS HIS RETURN AND CORIA IS LEVELLED!!! 2 SETS ALL!!!
19:28 NO! Coria nets an easy forehand and it is deuce now...
19:27 SET POINT FOR CORIA!!!
19:23 Game Nadal...the Spaniard comes back at 5-4 with a game won to 15...
19:20 Coria holds his serve and leads 5-3...Pressure on Nadal who has to win his serve to stay alive in the set...
19:12 As both men tire, they are employing the drop shot more and more... Nadal holds serve after a suitably punishing baseline rally.
19:11 Three hours and 26 minutes into this titanic battle and it looks like going all the way. Coria is back in the ascendancy and pushing for a double break and a 5-2 lead.
19:08 It's compelling stuff, if a little slow-paced. But if you're a fan of clay-court tennis (and quite frankly who isn't?) this is a classic of its kind.
19:07 My word. These two battling like cat and dog here... Coria break yet again with a pummeling passing shot and goes 3-2 ahead.
19:02 That's more than three hours these two have been playing... at this rate they could be on court for three more!
19:00 BREAK BACK!!! Rafael Nadal shifts the momentum yet again with an exhibition of tenacious hitting!!
18:54 Nadal pulls back to 1-2 but he is clearly distracted by that troublesome finger.
18:46 More treatment for Nadal, and this is in danger of grinding to a halt. The last three games have taken the best part of 45 minutes!
18:35 What a ding-dong battle here in the eternal city! Coria immediately breaks serve, completing the feat with an outrageous drop shot!
18:30 Nadal receives treatment to an injured finger, although the adrenaline should see him through to the end of this...
18:29 TWO SET POINTS on the Coria serve.... Nadal hits long, and makes another error. Lucky net cord for Nadal for another set point, but he can't convert... DEUCE 5! FINALLY Nadal takes a mammoth, 20-MINUTE GAME!! Incredible, two sets to one for Rafael Nadal!
18:07 And there's one break back!! Guillermo Coria gives you nothing for free, and Nadal is being made to earn.
18:00 Coria serving to stay in the third and struggling at 30-30. He hangs in there and now Nadal will have to close the set out.
17:54 The two players exchange holds of serve and Nadal prepares to serve for 5-1.
17:42 Incredible Nadal!!! He staves off three Coria smashes and forces the Argentine to dump a fourth into the net!! He converts for a second break of the set as this game swings wildly!
17:35 Coria fails to put away what should have been a simple volley and Nadal snatches the point off him! He goes on to hold serve.
17:33 What a rally!! Nadal fends off a barrage of Coria shots before despatching the winner to break!
17:27 Coria has two set points on the Nadal serve... the Spaniard pulls his backhand wide and it's one set all!! Something of a capitulation from Rafael Nadal!
17:25 Coria is giving his opponent a real workout with his attritional play and holds for 5-3. It could be a real momentum shift if he goes on to take this second set.
17:19 BREAK POINT for CORIA... Nadal is serving at 30-40... first delivery long down the middle, the second serbe is deep and Nadal approaches the net, hitting a volley JUST OUT! CORIA BREAKS for 4-3, with the chair umpire coming off his chair to confirm the line call on the baseline...
17:16 DOUBLE BREAK POINT for CORIA... Nadal is serving at 15-40... Coria rallies for a forehand error from Nadal 30-40; ONE POINT... Coria hits a backhand crosscourt within one yard of touching the net, Nadal anticipates well and hits a forehand winner down the line; DEUCE!
17:11 DOUBLE BREAK POINT for NADAL... Coria serving at 15-40... he misses his first delivery... Nadal runs around a second serve directed to his forehand in favour of a backhand that opens up the court to him... a forehand crosscourt winner and the second set is level once again... NADAL BREAKS for 3-3!
17:07 Nadal stays in touch with a hold to 15, hitting three unreturned serves for 2-3
17:03 Coria confirms the break of serve with a hold to 15 for 3-1... Nadal is making errors on his forehand now, mis-timing as a result of rushing into his strokes...
16:59 CORIA BREAKS Nadal with a forehand winner off a short backhand from the Spaniard at 30-40... the Roland Garros finalist pumps his fist as he takes a 2-1 lead!
16:53 Coria survives, looking to the sky as he hits the tennis balls in to his pocket the other end... Nadal is raising his game and the Argentine is finding it difficult to stay with him... 1-1
16:51 BREAK POINT for NADAL... Coria serving at advantage point down... Coria lobs Nadal, who chip-charged off the return, and gets his service game back to DEUCE earning warm applause in the process!
16:46 Nadal closes out to advantage for the opening game of the second set. Guillermo Coria is now adopting a new gamplan stepping one yard inside the baseline and taking the ball early
16:39 DOUBLE SET POINT for NADAL... Coria serving at 15-40... Coria drop shots Nadal and the 19-year-old is caught behind the baseline and runs in vain to scramble up 30-40; ONE POINT... Nadal gets Coria wide of the court and hits a booming backhand crosscourt that Coria cannot reach! FIRST SET NADAL 6-4!
16:34 Nadal edges in front once again, with a confident hold to 15 for 5-4... Coria looks temporarily deflated in the loss of his serve
16:30 NADAL earns his FIRST BREAK POINT of the match... Coria serving at 30-40... he dumps his first delivery into the net, the second is short and Nadal returns short himself, but is able to snap backhand a crosscourt pass with Coria at the net... NADAL BREAKS BACK for 4-4
16:24 Nadal stays in touch, playing on the baseline now to give Coria little angle to expose... he holds to 30 for 3-4
16:18 Coria confirms the break of serve, holding to 30 for a 4-2 lead... Nadal looks tired.
16:13 DOUBLE BREAK POINT for CORIA... Nadal serving at 15-40... the pair lock in a physically demanding rally running each other to the corners, only for Nadal to mis-time a backhand wide of the tramline... CORIA BREAKS for 3-2
16:08 While the spectator was ejected, Coria was bouncing a ball on his racket. Eventually, the 23-year-old Rufino-born closes out to 30 for 2-2
16:04 In the upper tier of the east stand, five policemen eject a rowdy spectator. Play is delayed while the man makes his way out of the stadium.
16:01 Nadal stays in front with a service hold to 30, highlighted by a backhand-forehand combination winner... 2-1
15:56 Coria holds serve to 30 with two stunning forehand winner in-out and sliding away from Nadal's reach... 1-1
15:52 Nadal does just enough for the first game of the match, closing out on his third game point at advantage nervous to venture to the net
15:49 Coria is forcing Nadal to hit a lot of backhand from three yards behind the baseline and is finding holes in the Spaniard's armoury... Nadal is currently serving at deuce!
15:44 Rafael Nadal, who has won four of his five titles this season, gets the Rome Masters final underway serving first... play!
15:32 The pair begin their five-minute warm-up in their third career meeting... should the final go to five sets the thinking is Nadal won't have the energy to win.
15:31 Guillermo Coria leads out Rafael Nadal onto Pallacorda for the Rome Masters final...
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