TMS Roma (Semifinal)
Eurosport
May 7, 2024
16:45 It's long from Ferrer and thank God it's over! Or at least those will be the thoughts of Rafa Nadal, who has finally disposed of a tough opponent! He progresses to the final 4-6 6-4 7-5 in two hours and 29 minutes.
16:44 What a shot Rafael Nadal!! He was racing to his right and did well enough to get there, let alone hit an unstoppable backhand pass!! Two matchpoints...
16:39 ROOOOAAARRR!!! There's the Nadal backlash! An emphatic break and he'll win the match if he confirms this!
16:36 FERRER!!! Amazing effort to break his Spanish compatriot and stay in the match.
16:33 Matchpoint Nadal at 40-15.... Ferrer wallops a double-fisted backhand winner!... Nadal misses a backhand down the line! Deuce.
16:29 Ferrer shows decent bottle, holding the rampant teenager off and forcing him to serve for it.
16:25 It's going with serve here in the third, and Nadal coverts to go to 5-3. Ferrer now serving to stay in the tournament.
16:11 More breaks than a fractured limbs clinic! Nadal puts away a drive volley to re-establish the edge in this set!
16:09 BREAK BACK! Ferrer punishes a crosscourt forehand and it's two games all!
16:03 DOUBLE BREAK POINT for NADAL... Ferrer serving at 15-40... long forehand-to-forehand rally with Nadal in control... the Mallorcan pulls the trigger and drills a forehand crosscourt into space for a 2-1 lead!
15:59 Nadal keeps the third set on serve with another confident hold to 30 for 1-1
15:55 Ferrer closes out to 30 for the first game of the third set...
15:51 TRIPLE SET POINT for NADAL, serving at 40-0... first delivery out, second serve kicked in down the middle... Ferrer has to chase the ball and off-balance Nadal hits a forehand winner down the line running to his chair having taken the SECOND SET 6-4 for one set all!
15:47 BREAK POINT for NADAL... Ferrer nets a forehand drop shot to give this season's King on Clay a chance... 30-40... first serve long, second delivery short... long rally, ended by Ferrer who hits a forehand long of the baseline... Nadal confirms the call before pumping his fist. He leads 5-4!
15:43 Nadal isn't happy over a couple of line calls, but closes out for 4-4 with a hold to 15...
15:39 The ATP trainer gets out a 'magic' spray and places a bandage and strapping to Nadal's left hand! The Mallorcan then walks out to begin serving
15:36 An ATP trainer is called to the court to administor attention to a Rafael Nadal blister on his racket hand: his left! It doesn't look pleasant!
15:35 DOUBLE BREAK POINT for NADAL... Ferrer loses his concentration and gifts Nadal a break of serve with a couple of short backhands that get punished! Nadal skips to his chair leading 4-3
15:34 Nadal completes a love service hold with a service winner... 3-3
15:30 Ferrer closes out with successive unreturned serves for a 3-2 lead...
15:29 BREAK POINT for NADAL... Ferrer is serving at advantage point down... the 23-year-old looks to attack the net but doesn't prefering to out-hit Nadal from behind the baseline: he does with a forehand into space... DEUCE!
15:24 Nadal gets back on level terms with a service hold to advantage... 2-2
15:22 It's Ferrer's turn to chance his racket, breaking a string with Nadal serving at 40-30...
15:18 DOUBLE BREAK POINT for NADAL... Ferrer serving at 15-40 finds himself pinned behind the baseline and watches a forehand crosscourt winner fly past him... Nadal runs to his chair, he BREAKS for 2-1
15:15 Nadal breaths a sigh of relief with a service hold to 15... urged on by approximately 100 Spaniards in the upper tier of the east stand, the 19-year-old closes out for 1-1
15:12 Ferrer wins his fifth game on the spin, holding serve to 15 for the opening game of the second set
15:07 SET POINT for FERRER... Nadal serving at 30-40... Nadal hits a forehand long of the baseline off a short rally and David Ferrer wins his FOURTH GAME IN A ROW to take the FIRST SET 6-4 in 51 minutes! Ferrer made 17 unforced errors to Nadal's 18!
15:06 OUTRAGEOUS! Nadal had no right to win the point but did! Ferrer attacked the net off a short forehand and believes to have hit a forehand winner, but Nadal rushes to spank a down the line backhand winner for 30-30! BIG POINT! HUGE GUTS!
15:01 Ferrer confirms the break and now leads 5-4 following a routine service hold to 15
15:00 Nadal walks to his chair for a change of racket, immediately asking a ball boy to head to the stringers
14:58 BREAK POINT for FERRER... Nadal serving at advantage point down fires in another second serve, but Ferrer guesses the pace and direction correclty hitting a forehand return winner to BREAK BACK for 4-4
14:55 STATISTIC - ERRORS: Nadal 19 - Ferrer 18, 39 minutes into the match
14:54 Ferrer is making life a lot more difficult for Nadal now, taking his chances on the Mallorcan's first serve and extending Nadal to deuce
14:48 Ferrer grows in confidence with every forehand winner, pumping his fist to his coaching team as he walks to his chair at 3-4... the Javea-born is 20-12 for the season...
14:45 No problems for Nadal, doing just enough to maintain the two-game cushion and one break in this opening set
14:40 Ferrer remains in contention with a couple of groundstroke winner to close out to 15 for 2-3
14:36 Hitting predominantly from behind the baseline, Nadal finds the spaces with wide first serve that open the court against Ferrer... the 19-year-old closes out to 15 for a 3-1 lead!
14:33 Ferrer completes a service hold to 15 from behind the baseline, passing Nadal at the net on two occasions... 1-2
14:29 Nadal confirms the break, but after a struggle of missing out on five game points... Ferrer is finding his footing on this slow clay court at the Foro Italico... 2-0
14:18 DOUBLE BREAK POINT for NADAL... the youthful arrogance of Nadal remains as he takes the opening game of the match to 15 from Ferrer with a drop shot then volley winner into space!
14:15 David Ferrer, based in Valencia where he trains with Juan Carlos Ferrero, gets the first semi-final underway serving first... play!
14:08 HEAD-TO-HEAD: Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer are tied in their career series at 1-1. Nadal won their Miami Masters semi-final clash 6-4 6-3 in March
14:05 Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer come out onto court quickly beginning their five-minute warm-up...
14:00 The Foro Italico is bathes in sunshine for an afternoon of high quality tennis. Plenty of Rome tennis fans have arrived for the semi-final matches
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