Rafael Nadal isn’t one to shy away from a rivalry. His confrontations with peers Novak Djokovic (44 matches), Roger Federer (33 matches) and Andy Murray (21 matches) are the stuff of tennis legend. But there’s a new antagonist on the scene these days: Italy’s Fabio Fognini.

Nadal and Fognini faced each other just four times prior to 2015, Nadal emerging victorious on each occasion. But coming into the China Open, they had played that many times this year alone, Fognini having reversed his fortunes with three victories, including a stunning come-from-behind third-round shocker at the US Open, one in which he erased a seemingly irreversible two-sets-to-love deficit. Nadal had never lost a Grand Slam match after winning the first two sets.

As fate would have it, they would meet yet again on Saturday with a trip to the Beijing final on the line. But this time it was Nadal who would move ahead 6-3 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head with a 7-5, 6-3 win on a chilly day at the National Tennis Center.

There were no less than five breaks of serve in the jittery opening set as the foes searched for rhythm from the baseline. But with Fognini serving to stay in the stanza at 5-6, it was Nadal who grabbed the break that mattered most.

Nadal would score another important break in the sixth game of the second set when a Fognini backhand sailed long, giving him a 4-2 advantage. The 28th-ranked Italian managed to save two match points to hold at 2-5, but one game later his opponent held serve to close it out in one hour, 45 minutes.

“He’s a great player, a great and talented player,” said Nadal. “It was a tough first set, as I expected. Tough match in general. But I think I played well. I played much closer to the baseline than the previous days. That’s very important for me, very important for my game. The position for me on the court today was more aggressive, and that’s why I was able to beat him today after a couple of defeats.”

Nadal, who landed 73 per cent of his first serves and converted four of 10 break-point chances, remains in the hunt for one of four remaining spots at the year-end Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, to be played 15-22 November at London’s O2 arena. The Beijing champion will receive 500 points in the Emirates ATP Race to London.

“I’m happy to be in the final obviously,” said Nadal. “It’s a good result for me, very positive one. And tomorrow is a match to enjoy.

“[This result gives me] a lot of important points for the [Barclays ATP World Tour Finals] too,” added Nadal. “I don’t say that I am qualified, but with that result I am much closer to being qualified for the World Tour Finals.

“At the same time, the goal for me is try to find a good level at this end of the season. Playing matches is the best practice possible, trying to do things in the matches, to have better feelings, practice the things that I need to do next year. I think today was an important victory. I really played the way that I wanted to play.” 

Fognini, still seeking his first title of 2015, was hoping to join Djokovic as one of only two men to beat Nadal four or more times in a single season. Nadal will next meet the top-seeded Djokovic for the Beijing title.

“Of course, I’m disappointed because I lost,” said Fognini. “But this is sport. I think I played good tennis. I have to accept these kinds of matches, that I know I can beat him anytime at the moment. So it’s really good for me that I know I can play with him.”