ROME – Novak Djokovic rallied past Rafael Nadal to capture the title at the Italian Masters for the third time.
Djokovic claimed a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 triumph in Sunday’s final, denying Nadal his eighth Rome championship.
The two have combined for the last 10 titles at this French Open tuneup, as Djokovic previously won in 2008 and 2011. Nadal won the other seven times since his first title in 2005, including last year when he beat fellow Spaniard David Ferrer.
This was the fourth meeting between the duo in the Rome final. Nadal won in 2009 and 2012, while Djokovic previously emerged victorious in 2011 before this year’s thrilling battle.
Nadal opened a 4-1 lead early on Sunday with a pair of breaks, but Djokovic got one back before the Spaniard finally closed out the first set. Djokovic turned it around by winning the first three games of the second set with a pair of breaks, and Nadal managed to get one back to make it 3-2, but a double-fault on break point in the next game allowed the Serb to pull away and force a decisive third set.
After Djokovic broke serve to start the third, Nadal broke back to make it 3-3. Djokovic, though, quickly again turned the tide by winning the first three points of Nadal’s next service game.
Nadal managed to save one break point, but drilled a forehand long on the next and never threatened again. Djokovic held at love for a 5-3 lead and earned a pair of championship points in the next game.
The Serb sent a return into the net on his first chance, but Nadal lifted a backhand long on the next point to end the match.
Djokovic improved to 19-22 all-time against Nadal, including four straight wins. He also beat Nadal for only the fourth time in 17 tries on the Spaniard’s favored clay surface.
The win gave Djokovic his 44th career title, tying him with Thomas Muster for 13th on the all-time list. Nadal was trying for his 64th crown, which would have drawn him even with Bjorn Borg and Pete Sampras for fifth. He also remained two clay-court titles shy of Guillermo Vilas’ all-time mark of 46.
Both will next play at the French Open, which begins next Sunday in Paris.
