TENNIS Master 1000 Rome – Seven-time Internazionali BNL d’Italia champion Rafa Nadal overcame a very tough match against Giles Simon with a 7-6 (1) 6-7 (4) 6-2 in 3 hours and 19 minutes in the longest best-of-three match of the year. Diego Sampaolo
Interviews, results, order of play, draws of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome
Nadal led 6-1 in his previous head-to-head matches against Simon who took his only win in Madrid in 2008.
Nadal got his first break in the first game to take a 3-2 lead and backed up her break holding serve for 4-2. Simon clawed his way back winning the next game for 3-4. Nadal served for the first set at 5-4 but Simon earned his first break point but he wasted it. He earned a second break point and after a long rally of 31 shots he broke back to draw level to 5-5. Nadal got a chance to break back for 6-5 but Simon saved it with a forehand down the line. Nadal finally managed to break to take a 6-5 lead but he had to save a break-back point chance in the following game. Simon was able to break back to force the first set to the tie-break in one hour and 11 minutes. Nadal stormed to 4-1 in the tie-break before earning five set points. He closed out the first set with 7-1.
In the second set Nadal stormed to 3-0. Simon broke to claw his way to 2-3 before drawing level to 3-3. He recovered from a triple break point down by winning five consecutive points to hold serve in the ninth game. He got a match point on Simon’s serve at 6-5 30-40 but the Frenchman bounced back to draw level to force the match to the tie-break. Simon prevailed 7-4 to force the match to the third set.
Nadal broke in the first game of the third set and held serve in the next game for 2-0. Simon managed to break back to love in the fourth game for 2-2 but dropped the next service game Simon got a break back point but Nadal saved it with an ace. Nadal broke serve in the seventh game for 5-2 and closed out the match after a marathon match of three hours and 18 minutes.
Nadal is looking to win her back-to-back Master 1000 title on clay after beating Kei Nishikori last week.
