On a hot spring afternoon in Rome, under the stately pine trees at the Foro Italico, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were the focus of the tennis world.

Federer, already considered an all-time great, was the dominant force on the ATP World Tour. But a teenager in a sleeveless top and pirate shorts, striking vicious forehands, had established a psychological advantage with victory over the World No. 1 in four of their previous five meetings.

As a result, the final of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on 14 May 2006 became terrific theatre, a ‘must-see’ for sports’ lovers, let along fans, media and those closely associated with professional tennis.

“It was an unforgettable match, five hours and something,” Nadal told ATPWorldTour.com. “It was an unbelievable comeback for me in the fifth. I think for both of us, it was a very, very high level. We enjoyed it and we had fun. Both of us had chances to win the match. For me it was great to be part of that match.”

Federer told ATPWorldTour.com, “I remember the five-hour battle, the crowds were unbelievable. I also think the level of the match was big; Rafa and I were both at the top of our games.”

Nadal had beaten Federer in a thrilling Monte-Carlo final three weeks earlier. Federer had remarked afterwards, “I’ve got to play aggressive. He leaves me no choice.”

Throughout the Rome final, the Swiss adopted serve and volley tactics sparingly, punched precisely into the corners and followed his strokes to the net to keep Nadal off balance and leave the court wide open. “I worked my forehand way more than in Monaco,” said Federer, who won 64 of his 84 points at the net. “I also did more with my backhand too.”

Federer controlled play in the majority of the opening two sets, but out of the blue Nadal gained a set point opportunity when Federer served at 4-5, 30/40. Federer saved it with a terrific lunge volley, as Nadal looked certain to pass him down the line. When Federer lost a 4/2 lead in the tie-break, Nadal, undeterred, wrestled away the momentum.

Later, World No. 2 Nadal broke a net-rushing Federer with a backhand crosscourt pass at 2-2 in the third set and had chances to break early in the fourth, only to see Federer step up with forehand winners in the first game. Federer was off the hook and broke Nadal’s serve at 1-2, when the Spaniard anticipated a cross-court stroke only to see Federer strike a forehand winner down the line.

Federer continued to attack and went on to gain a stranglehold at 4-1 in the fifth set. Nadal then started to hit his groundstrokes within one yard of the baseline and targeted Federer’s single-handed backhand with his vicious topspin to work his way back into the match. But Federer’s level did not drop in his 13th consecutive final appearance.

He held two championship points after Nadal hit the first double fault of the match at 5-6, 15/30. The Swiss squandered hit first opportunity with a backhand long, then rushed a forehand down the line to let Nadal off the hook. “I tried to hit a winner, why not?” said Federer, who finished on 89 unforced errors. “I didn’t try to totally hit a winner, but tried to play aggressive and I was a little late on it. I couldn’t get quite over the first point in time. I guess, the first match point cost me the match.”

Despite the setback, Federer went on to lead 5/3 in the tie-break only to mis-hit a forehand for a three-point cushion. “He caught me right on the finish line,” said Federer. Nadal went on to play nerve-free tennis to win four straight points, falling to the crushed brick at the end of a brutal, exciting five-hour and six-minute encounter. “It was more difficult for me to play against him here,” said Nadal, who had not lost a clay-court match in more than 12 months. “It was a very emotional match… This one is special. It’s unbelievable for me.”

At 19 years of age, Nadal had tied Guillermo Vilas’ Open Era record of 53 straight match wins on a clay, which had stood since an October 1977 loss in Aix-en-Provence to Ilie Nastase, who played with a subsequently outlawed spaghetti racquet. Nadal admitted, “Before each tournament, I’m always thinking, ‘this week I’m going to lose.’ But I have been lucky this year and won.” The win, Nadal’s 13th straight final triumph, also tied Bjorn Borg’s record for 16 titles won as a teenager.

It had taken Nadal eight minutes longer to beat Guillermo Coria in the previous year’s final, but the Spaniard’s 6-7(0), 7-6(5), 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(5) victory over Federer firmly cemented their rivalry for the ages.

Just as millions had done in years past for matches featuring Rod Laver and Ken Rosewall, John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg, Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras, fans decisively took sides on 14 May 2006. Federer or Nadal, in support of their contrasting styles. Federer was the purists’ favourite, a classicist, while Nadal was the relentless, physical fighter.

Two years later, Federer and Nadal pushed the bar even higher in the 2008 Wimbledon final, widely considered the sport’s greatest match. “We played against each other on many occasions in a short period of time. It was a time when we met each other a lot in finals and Rome was one of the best, alongside the 2008 Wimbledon final,” Federer told ATPWorldTour.com. Today, Nadal leads 23-11 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series.

Novak Djokovic spoke earlier this week about how staying injury-free has been the key to him remaining at No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, but the Serbian suffered a self-inflicted injury during his semi-final against Kei Nishikori at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Rome.

The World No. 1 attempted to clean his shoes with his racquet in the first game of the match, but instead ended up whacking his left ankle with the frame. Although Djokovic managed to hold serve that game, he received a medical timeout afterward to patch up a blister on his ankle bone.

“Awkward situation,” he admitted. “I hit myself pretty hard and actually have a bruised bone [that] was hurting for a while.”

Djokovic’s movement appeared compromised in the first set after his ankle snafu, but he found his speed as the match progressed. He continued to chase down balls after more three hours of play, but said that the pain in his ankle “returned towards the end of the match.” 

Although he acknowledged that the timing of the ankle problem isn’t ideal, Djokovic is confident that he will be able to move freely during Sunday’s championship match against Andy Murray.

“I hope that tomorrow it’s going to be fine,” he said. “I don’t have too much time to recover, but I have had these particular situations a few times in my career. I’ll try to get the best out of it and get on the court giving my all, as always.”

In typical fashion, Djokovic was able to find humor in the situation and jokingly offered some advice to recreational players.

“Message to all the kids out there,” he said. “Be aware, when you’re cleaning your shoes, make sure the frame hits your shoe.”

In the heat of the moment, almost anything can happen on a tennis court. Just ask Novak Djokovic.

During the third set of his semi-final win at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Saturday, Djokovic lost a hard-fought rally against Kei Nishikori to put himself break point down against the Japanese star. The World No. 1 was about to start his pre-serve routine when chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani told him to look down at his racquet – Djokovic was about to attempt to save a break point with a broken string.

“It’s a very unusual occurrence, but sometimes, due to crowd noise, the player does not realise that his strings are broken,” ATP Supervisor Lars Graff, a former Gold Badge chair umpire, said. “It is then the duty of the chair umpire to inform the player. The rules are very clear that a player cannot start a point with broken strings.”

After his initial confusion cleared, Djokovic cracked a smile and walked to his bag to pick up a new frame. He would go on to save that break point and win the match in a third-set tie-break.

Kei Nishikori has raced to a 6-2 lead against top seed Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. The Japanese capitalised on both break points earned and struck 10 winners.

How do you beat Djokovic? Taking away his movement goes a long way. The Serb, who received a medical timeout for a cut on his left ankle after the first game, was on the back foot from the start. Nishikori turned in an exhibition in agility, taking the initiative from the back of the court and tracking down everything Djokovic fired his way. Taking advantage of the World No. 1’s compromised movement, the Japanese provided a heavy dose of drop shots. A forehand drop shot winner would give him a break for 2-1 and a rifled backhand down-the-line saw him secure a double break for 5-2. He closed out the set after 43 minutes.

One week removed from a semi-final encounter on the clay of Madrid, won by Djokovic, Nishikori snapped the Serb’s streak of 10 consecutive sets won in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry. The sixth seed is bidding to reach a third ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final and second this year, having fallen to Djokovic in the Miami title match in March.

Four-time Rome champion Djokovic, meanwhile, is eyeing a 42nd final at the Masters 1000 level. He took sole possession of the all-time title lead with a 29th crown in Madrid.

It’s not uncommon for doubles specialists to stay on tour well into their 30s, but Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo is still playing –and winning– singles matches at age 38.

The veteran reached his first ATP Challenger Tour final in three years at this week’s $50,000 event in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Ramirez Hidalgo broke new ground with his inspired performance by becoming the oldest singles finalist in ATP Challenger Tour history at 38 years, four months (surpassing the record held since 2009 by Dick Norman at 38 years, 1 month). The championship match against 19-year-old #NextGen star Karen Khachanov, which he lost in three sets, was also the largest age gap in a final this year.

Making the feat even more impressive is that a backlog of matches due to rain forced Ramirez Hidalgo to play four singles matches in two days. Despite this, he continued to grind down with his superior fitness, outlasting 21-year-old Ramkumar Ramanathan in a marathon semi-final on Friday that finished with the Spaniard blanking the Indian in a third-set tie-break.

Even though he’s now well into his 18^th year on tour, Ramirez Hidalgo said he’s still as eager as ever to win.

“I’m playing in Samarkand with the same enthusiasm as if I was playing the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Rome,” said Ramirez Hidalgo. “I still love to play and compete, so if I can’t do it in Rome, I’ll look to do it wherever I can. I’m fortunate to still be able to pursue the game that has always been my first love.”

The Spaniard is also closing in on another record this year. He is just nine match wins away from becoming the first player to win 400 matches on the ATP Challenger Tour.

“To reach that number would mean that I spent many years of my life playing the sport I love and can take many good moments that will remain with me,” said Ramirez Hidalgo. “I don’t know if they’ll remain in the memory of the fans, but they will definitely remain in mine.”

Ramirez Hidalgo is still able to produce consistent results on the ATP Challenger Tour. He reached the semi-finals of the $50,000 event this January in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and posted quarter-final showings at three other events. He’s also still showing the new generation of upcoming players that age has little to do with ability; at last month’s ATP Challenger Tour event in Nanjing, China, Ramirez Hidalgo handily defeated #NextGen star Yoshihito Nishioka in the opening round.

Although he acknowledges that he’s in the latter stages of his career, the Spaniard is determined to make his pro career last for as long as it possibly can.

“At 38, I’m trying to enjoy my last matches because I’m aware that my career has an end and that my end is getting closer every time,” said Ramirez Hidalgo. “People ask me why I still keep doing this at my age and it’s simply because I love what I do. Every match is still enjoyable, just like when I was a kid.”

When he decides to stop playing, he’ll have plenty to keep occupied between the academy he runs with former ATP World Tour pro Santiago Ventura in Alicante, Spain, and his two daughters that he raises with his wife, Christina. Perhaps most importantly, though, he’ll be able to walk away without any regrets.

“Tennis has given me more than I could have ever imagined,” said Ramirez Hidalgo.. I’m able to say that I was able to travel the world and play every major tournament I watched on television when I was growing up. I had the chance to live what I dreamed about as a child.”

Fifth seeds Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan completed a 6-7(5), 6-2, 10-7 victory over French duo Julien Benneteau and Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the semi-finals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

The American twins claimed the victory on their second match point at 1:06am in Rome, after Novak Djokovic and Kei Nishikori sent the doubles affair deep into the night with a three-hour singles semi-final to open the evening session. The Bryans will appear in their seventh final at the Foro Italico, having lifted the trophy in 2008 (d. Nestor/Zimonjic), 2010 (d. Isner/Querrey) and 2013 (d. Bhupathi/Bopanna). They own a 35-18 record in ATP World Tour Masters 1000 finals and will bid for their third tour-level crown overall in 2016 (Houston, Barcelona).

Earlier on Saturday, Vasek Pospisil and Jack Sock reached their second Masters 1000 final of the season as they defeated Florin Mergea and Rohan Bopanna 7-6(4), 7-6(2), setting a sixth meeting against the Bryans. They own a 3-2 lead in the FedEx ATP Head2Head series, most recently taking a quarter-final battle at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris.

“It was a high-level match today,” said Pospisil. “We executed well and returned well in the tie-breaks and on the big points and that’s what got us through. Overall it was a solid performance in all aspects. We are playing better and gaining confidence with every match. We have one more to go to get the title, so we’ll go out there tomorrow and fight for it.” 

The Canadian/American duo rallied from an early break down in the first set to clinch the opener in a tie-break. They failed to convert match point when serving at 5-3 in the second set, but regrouped to prevail in another tie-break after 85 minutes.

Pospisil and Sock were runners-up at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells (l. to Herbert/Mahut) in March. The 2014 Wimbledon champions are chasing their fifth tour-level title together and first since Beijing in October 2015.

Andy Murray is through to the final of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia for the first time after dismissing Lucas Pouille 6-2, 6-1 on a rainy day in Rome on Saturday.

In Sunday’s final on his 29th birthday, Murray will face either Novak Djokovic or Kei Nishikori, who contest the second semi-final this evening.

“I don’t remember winning any matches, really, on my birthday which isn’t a great sign,” joked Murray. “Hopefully tomorrow that will change.”

Murray has now reached the final of eight of the nine ATP World Tour Masters 1000s, with Monte-Carlo (where he has reached the semi-finals three times) the only exception. The right-hander will look to lift his 12^th Masters 1000 trophy and first since August 2015, when he won in Montreal (d. Djokovic).

“I think I have made some improvements in my game [in the past year],” said Murray. “Last year I was winning a lot of matches at this time of the year, but I do think I’m playing better tennis this year. I think my serve has been a big improvement for me.

“That’s why in matches like today, Lucas had no opportunities on my serve. I had a few matches like that over the past few weeks, and that hasn’t always been the case.

“To get like a win in the semi-finals of a Masters 1000 losing five points on serve is the first time that’s happened in my career, and that’s been the most pleasing thing for me.”

Rain delayed the start of the semi-final action in Rome, with the match beginning at the revised time of shortly after 3pm. Murray made the stronger start, breaking for a 3-1 lead with a forehand winner after chasing down a Pouille drop shot.

A heavy but brief rain shower caused a 13-minute delay with Murray serving at 4-2, 40/0. At the resumption, the Scot swiftly claimed a 5-2 lead. He then broke Pouille for a second time to clinch the opener, converting his third set point as Pouille hit his forehand long.

Murray raced through the second set, breaking Pouille in the fourth and sixth games before claiming victory in 59 minutes.

Speaking in a post-match TV interview, Murray said, “It’s actually the first time ever since I’ve been on tour that I’ve not had chance to hit balls before we got on court. It’s pretty much rained non-stop, then they flipped the schedule around and we were on straightaway when the rain stopped. So I didn’t feel that comfortable coming out on the court. Obviously the break as well at 4-2 was tricky. He made quite a few mistakes and I served well today and made it easier for myself.”

The 28-year-old Murray is through to his fourth ATP World Tour clay-court final. The Scot won his first two titles on the dirt last year in Munich and Madrid. Last week he fell just short of retaining his Madrid crown as he lost to Novak Djokovic in the final at the Caja Magica.

The 22-year-old Pouille has been the luckiest of lucky losers this week. After falling to Mikhail Kukushkin in the final round of qualifying, the Frenchman was granted a main draw berth when Jo-Wilfried Tsonga withdrew. He beat Ernests Gulbis and David Ferrer to reach the quarter-finals, where he received a walkover after Juan Monaco withdrew.

World No. 52 Pouille is the first lucky loser to reach the semi-finals of an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament since Thomas Johansson in Toronto in 2004. His run this week is set to see him rise to a career-high of around No. 32 in the Emirates ATP Rankings on Monday.

“Honestly I started pretty well,” said Pouille. “Andy is a great player. He’s returning all your serves. So if you don’t have a great percentage of first serves, then it’s very tough. He’s very offensive, puts pressure on your serves. I did not make that the best match of my life, but I think today he was much better.

“I think it’s a positive week for me. Now it’s time to take some rest. It’s part of the job. I have been playing a lot for the past two months, so I’m a bit tired. I will take some rest and prepare for the French Open.”