Number 4 - good for Rafa, great for Mallorcan dentistry
Rafael Nadal faced tough opposition today from Novak Djokovic, but was just way too good, and he jogged off with the title in two sets, 7-6, 6-2.
Novak pushed him hard all the way, but the man from Mallorca is playing in a different category to the rest these days, and the only thing we can take away from this great match was its terminal sense of inevitability.
The win notches up quite a series of milestones for Rafa including:
- 30 unbeaten matches on clay – that’s over a year of invincibility
- Fifth title already of 2009
- 15th Masters Series title now topping Fed’s 14 and just two short of all time best, André Agassi (17 titles)
- Improved to 147-6 on clay since 2005, including 16-0 in 2009.
After the match, Rafa told reporters:
The Rome Masters is a really important tournament for me.
I am delighted to have won again in Rome and to have achieved this record. It’s a great feeling to win in front of this crowd. I congratulate Djokovic for a great match, and I will be back next year.
See free live TV over internet links at the end of this post.
Novak Djokovic was against the ropes against Roger Federer, losing by a set and a break.
But then it rained, the Serb refocussed and the Swiss lost focus. Despite starting so well, Roger shows that final sets aren’t his thing of late, and Nole finally won 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Here’s what Roger had to say:
Things were going well for me. I was playing him well and serving well when I had to and putting him under pressure. So the rain delay came at a perfect moment for him, because he came through a tough service game at 2-0 down. Instead of going 3-0, he goes 2-1 and then the rain comes, so he’s got something positive to look at.
Then when he comes back conditions changed, so sure, it helped him. But then again, who knows? He might have come back anyway and beat me in the end. He did well today to use the rain delay in his favour, that’s for sure.
Rafael Nadal was indomitable as always of late – leaving few openings for Chilean Fernando Gonzalez and winning in two sets, 6-3, 6-3. After the match, Rafa said:
I’m very happy to be in the final again. Playing in Rome is a pleasure. The crowd is always fantastic with me. It’s always an amazing feeling to come back here and be in the final.
I won in Monte Carlo and I won in Barcelona. That’s very good news for me. And a final in Rome, that’s unbelievable. I’m very happy about everything.
I know tomorrow is going to be a really tough match, and I will have to be playing at 100% to have a good chance to win.
The important thing is – don’t make a lot of mistakes.
I have to play aggressive with my forehand and try to have control of the point with my forehand. If I don’t do that, it’s going be really difficult, because if he is attacking me it’s really tough to play against Novak.
See our collection of best links below for free live TV over internet. As always check back often and try the different options as these will be updated as the games start and depending on quality.Leave a quick comment (registration not required)if you have a problem or can suggest a better link:
Rome Final – Live TV Streams (Free) – Starts 4:00pm local time, (2:00pm GMT)
Update: Game over, Nadal won 7-6, 6-2
Option 1: Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic – high resolution, not English – can someone tell me what language this is?
Option 3: Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic – Spanish
Option 4: Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic
Option 5: Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic – Good link, English – little tricky to start: Open in Internet Explorer (not Firefox, Chrome etc). You will get a page in Chinese – wait – could take up to a minute, and when asked, agree to installing Add on from “Nanjing Naga Software”.
For more information, try referring to this post on how to watch live tennis over the internet or leave a comment to report problems or link suggestions (registration not required). Good luck!
See free live TV over internet links at the end of this post.
Link to official website
With three of the four top seeds through, we’re in for a great weekend of tennis in Rome
Roger Federer set up his semifinal encounter with Novak Djokovic with a hard fought win over Mischa Zverev 7-6, 6-2. Although Zverev played some very impressive tennis, particurlarly in the first set, Roger has raised his game this tournament and wasn’t going to let an 85th ranked pretender stand in his way.
Federer will be looking to avenge his recent semifinal loss to Djokovic in Miami, and although the Serb should be the favourite on recent form, I think this might be the day that Roger pulls one back. My prediction – Fed in three.
Rafael Nadal did not play at his best yesterday, but as is so often the case in recent months, he seemed to be able to cruise at just the right level to never leave the final result in doubt. Verdasco looked ominous early on, but Rafa managed to close down that mighty Fer forehand by moving him around the court, and with a patient back court display was able to win comfortably – 6-3, 6-3.
Rafa should not have any trouble dealing with Gonzalez – he has not lost to the Chilean since 2007, and never on clay. I expect Nadal to win in two sets, but we’ll enjoy some long rallies and not a few impressive forehand winners from Fernando.
See our collection of best links below for free live TV over internet. As always check back often and try the different options as these will be updated as the games start and depending on quality.Leave a quick comment (registration not required)if you have a problem or can suggest a better link:
Rome Semifinals – Live TV Streams (Free)
Update: Game over, Djokovic won 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
Option 1: Roger Federer vs Novak Djokovic
Option 2: Roger Federer vs Novak Djokovic
Option 3: Roger Federer vs Novak Djokovic (Spanish)
Option 3: Rafael Nadal vs Fernando Gonzalez (Spanish)
For more information, try referring to this post on how to watch live tennis over the internet or leave a comment to report problems or link suggestions (registration not required).
Roger Federer first – he seems to be really coming on strong this week, and he was all over Radek Stepanek, winning 6-4, 6-1. I am sure was expecting that he would be playing Gilles Simon today. But the Frenchman played badly indeed yesterday, with too many unforced errors, and was forced out by German qualifier, Mischa Zverev. Zverev has done very well to get this far, but I just don’t see him causing another upset – Fed in two, in just over an hour is my pick.
Mischa Zverev
Rafael Nadal was immense. He himself said afterwards that this was his one of his best matches on clay – and that’s saying something. Rafa was in awesome form, losing just the first game then following up with 12 in a row to crush Robin Soderling 6-1, 6-0. He will be really challenged though today against Fernando Verdasco – let’s see if Rafa’s famous pysche can change up a gear to a higher level of opposition. My pick is Rafa in two, but not without some very long tight games and a few breaks.
Schedule wise – the first match of the day will be Del Potro vs Djokovic (Update: won by Djokovic).
Federer then Nadal follow on thereafter against their respective opponents, so we’ll probably see Federer start around 3pm local, and Nadal at perhaps 5…let’s see how they all go.
Here are the best links we can find at NadalversusFederer.com. Will try and keep them updated and working – leave a quick comment (registration not required)if you have a problem or can suggest a better link:
Rome – Live TV Streams (Free)
Update – Game over, Federer beat Zverev, 7-6, 6-2
Option 1: Roger Federer vs Mischa Zverev (English – *currently down*)
Option 2: Roger Federer vs Mischa Zverev (new – recommended – Spanish)
Option 3: Roger Federer vs Mischa Zverev
Option 4: Roger Federer vs Mischa Zverev (recommended – English – note below)
Open in Internet Explorer. You will get a page in Chinese – wait – could take up to a minute, and when asked, agree to installing Add on from “Nanjing Naga Software”.
Update: Game over, Nadal won 6-3, 6-3
Option 1: Rafael Nadal vs Fernando Verdasco (Spanish – recommended)
Option 2: Rafael Nadal vs Fernando Verdasco (NEW – English- recommended)
Option 3: Rafael Nadal vs Fernando Verdasco
Option 4*: Rafael Nadal vs Fernando Verdasco (English)
*Open in Internet Explorer. You will get a page in Chinese – wait – could take up to a minute, and when asked, agree to installing Add on from “Nanjing Naga Software”.
If none of these links are currently working, or for more information, try referring to this post on how to watch live tennis over the internet for assistance in running or hunting for more options, or Leave a Comment.
The big news of course was the ousting of Andy Murray by Juan Monaco – well, Andy’s had a great run this year and perhaps this is just a pause in his momentum towards the top three (or two). I expect the few extra days rest will do him a lot of good, and we’ll see some great tennis from him in the slightly faster courts of Madrid.
Roger Federer had a tough match, and faced some solid resistance from Karlovic, but his game was steady, and he was able to win easily, 6-4, 6-4.
Rafael Nadal looked even stronger, seeing off Andreas Seppi quickly in an hour and twenty, and with just a minor bump early on with a loss of service before a typically concentrated performance where he left the Italian with no chances whatsoever to get into the game.
After a humdinger first up match today (carried over from yesterday due to rain delays) between Andy Murray and clay court specialist Juan Monaco, we’ll be seeing Roger Federer challenged by big serving Croat, Ivo Karlovic. Karlovic beat Federer in Cincinatti last year, so has proved he has it in him, though a slow clay court will be less in his favour, and indeed Federer has won all the other seven previous encounters between the two.
Then straight after that, Rafael Nadal will face the Italian Andreas Seppi. Amazingly, these two have only played three times previously on the tour, and surprise, surprise, Seppi won the most recent encounter – in Rotterdam last year – in three sets. Again, the surface and form will make all the difference, and Rafa should enjoy this plate of revenge served cold on clay.
Quite an afternoon of tennis, and here are the best links we can find at NadalVersusFederer.com. We’ll update these as the games start, as these days there is a lot of chopping, changing and cutting of streams:
Rome – Live TV Streams (Free)
UPDATE - Federer won, 6-4, 6-4
Option 1: Roger Federer vs Ivo Karlovic
Option 2: (NEW) Roger Federer vs Ivo Karlovic
Open in Internet Explorer. You will get a page in Chinese – wait – could take up to a minute, and when asked, agree to installing Add on from “Nanjing Naga Software”.
Option 3: Try TVU, channel 68116 – software installation needed – see here for help
Started just before 6pm local time:
UPDATE - Nadal won, 6-2, 6-3
Option 1: Rafael Nadal vs Andreas Seppi
Option 2 (NEW): Rafael Nadal vs Andreas Seppi (Spanish)
Option 3 (NEW): Rafael Nadal vs Andreas Seppi (English)
To get Option 3 to work, you need to open the above link in Internet Explorer. You will get a page in Chinese – don’t panic! Wait a little, maybe up to a minute, and you should be asked whether you want to install “Nanjing Naga Software”. Say yes, install, and you will hopefully get a nice broadcast in English. This only seems to work in Internet Explorer – I could not get it running in Firefox or Chrome
Option 4: Try TVU, channel 68116 – software installation needed - see here for help
If none of these links are currently working, or for more information, try referring to this post on how to watch live tennis over the internet for assistance in running or hunting for more options. Good luck!
Not since the Australian Open have we had the pleasure of an encounter between the two current greats of world tennis, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. For a while there it was looking like Rome could be the stage of a gladiatorial rematch, but Nole had other ideas.
Here is the path to the final that was to be, but wasn’t…
Rafael Nadal beat David Ferrer to win his fifth consecutive “Godó” trophy, winning in two sets 6-2, 7-5 final.
Congratulations to Rafa – Barcelona is the closest he has to a “home” on the ATP circuit, and to have won these five titles in succession must be a dream come true for him. In fact, in his after match commentary Nadal said:
“I never imagined anything like this. To win again here in Barcelona, in my home club and at such an important tournament is incredible.”
Nadal now moves straight on to Rome, where he will be trying for his fourth Masters Series title, having lost last year to Juan Carlos Ferrero in the second set.
Last year it was a seriously bad blister that really knocked him down, but this year he’ll be facing some real challenges on the court too. Djokovic will be aiming to win back the title he won last year, Federer is trying to get back on track, and Andy Murray is charging from fourth and capable of anything.
My pick? Joker-Rafa final, with Nadal to win in three sets.
. Let’s see if they can keep up the pace today as we enter the crunch stage of the tournament.
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