Federer shrugs off close-call victory as Nadal eases through

By Bill Scott May 12, 2006, 20:22 GMT

Spain\'s Rafael Nadal makes a return to Fernando Gonzalez of Chile during their quarter final tennis match on the centre court at the Rome Masters, Friday 12 May 2006. EPA/ROBERTO TEDESCHI

Rome - Roger Federer struggled as rival Rafael Nadal sailed, with both top rivals managing places in the semifinals of the 2.08-million-euro Rome Masters Friday under vastly different circumstances.

Top seed Federer paid the price for a double fault on match point before finally being made to work for another hour to get past Spain's Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 7-5.

Teenaged holder Nadal needed three match points, but took care of them all in one game in his workmanlike 6-4, 6-3 quarter-final win over Chilean tenth seed Fernando Gonzalez.

Federer's close call against Almagro left the world number 1 facing a Saturday showdown final with Argentine nemesis David Nalbandian, who maintained his stranglehold on Mario Ancic 6-3, 6-3.

Nadal, the only player to have beaten Federer this season in the face of 37 wins for the Swiss, will take on the winner from American Andy Roddick and France's Gael Monfils.

Despite missing on his first match point and then battling to overcome the eager 20-year-old Almagro, Federer maintained his ice-calm facade in his bid for a first Rome title.

'I thought it was pretty consistent except the one matchpoint,' said the world number 1.

'That made life a little bit more difficult for me today. But otherwise, I thought I created quite a lot of opportunities for myself and nothing in the game really broke down, and that's important.'

Federer missed his chance to close out another straight-sets afternoon at the Foro Italico, doublefaulting away a 5-3 lead in the second set.

With the Swiss just off his standard accuracy and precision, the way was open for Almagro, winner of a first career title last month in Valencia, to make a run at an upset.

The challenger flirted with the possibility before Federer finally prevailed after two hours, 33 minutes and five match points.

'I was prepared for a three-hour match, you have to be,' said the winner.

'You have to prepare for the unexpected - and it came today. I could have closed it out early but for a stupid doublefault. But he came back and almost beat me.'

Said a disappointed Almagro, whom Federer beat last year at Roland Garros: 'Obviously this can teach me many lessons because I knew I had to take my chances and that[0x2018]s what I did.

'I lost because he[0x2018]s a much better player than me.'

Federer produced a massive 44 unforced errors and conversions on just four of 11 break points. Almagro converted on only two of his nine chances to break.

Nadal moved to within two wins of tying the all-time clay-court win streak of 53 set by Guillermo Vilas in 1977.

The teenaged Roland Garros champion stands 15-0 on clay this season, repeating titles in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona.

Nalbandian was coming off a clay title last weekend against Nikolay Davydenko in Estoril, but said he's now fully recovered and ready to do more damage on the clay.

'I was tired in my first two matches,' said the losing 2004 finalist. 'But I'm feeling fine now and very strong. I'm back on my best form.'