As the 2014 Italian Open reaches its climax, Rafael Nadal and Grigor Dimitrov along with Milos Raonic and Novak Djokovic battle it out in the semifinals of the competition.
Nadal and Dimitrov have already met in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open this season, where the Bulgarian managed to win one set before losing the next three.
Nadal is definitely the favourite for this clash as he has a 4-0 head-to-head record against the young Bulgarian.
The seven-time Rome Masters champion was made to work very hard by Murray in the quarterfinals as the Briton was completely blown away in the first half hour. However, the Spaniard managed to keep his nerve and finally win the match 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 in two hours and 40 minutes.
I really didn't feel like I was playing bad in the first set. Probably tactically [it was] not good but inside the energy was really good," Nadal said. "Tonight I didn't have any negative thoughts for the whole match. ... I closed the match at the first opportunity," said Nadal.
Although Dimitrov did not having to play a complete match in the quarterfinals owing to Tommy Haas' injury, he was very dominating especially considering his opponent's experience.
"It was one of the most memorable days of my life. I was just talking to my team, it's my first win on my birthday, so it feels good. It's a bit unfortunate, the way it ended up. But I'm just a happy birthday boy today," said Dimitrov, who reached the semifinal of a Masters 1000 event for the first time in his career.
"I'm happy, but I don't want to stop my progress here. I've come to the tournament with good health and good confidence. It's a nice way to bounce back from last week, that was the most positive thing for me. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's match," he added.
Meanwhile, Djokovic, who returned following a right wrist injury, managed to overcome a tough challenge from Spain's David Ferrer with a 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 win
Despite double-faulting on his first match point, he managed to win a 38-shot rally before eventually closing the game in two-and-a-half hours.
"It was definitely the most physical match I've had on clay this year. I'm playing with no pain. As long as it stays like this I'll be happy," said Djokovic.
His opponent Canada's Milos Raonic was also made to earn a hard fought 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 quarterfinal win over Frenchman Jeremy Chardy. Despite trailing by a set and a break at 6-3, 4-3, Chardy forced a third set after he won the second set 7-5. Finally Raonic easily beat the Frenchman 6-2 in the third and final set.
"I don't think clay will be my best surface, but I think it can come close. I like having the time. I've just got to not doubt my game plan in tough moments, like at the end of the second set where I got a little bit too defensive. I've got to keep my foot on the pedal, play aggressive and try to dictate as much as I can. I think the clay can be good for me," said the Canada number one.
Where to Watch Live:
Rafael Nadal v Grigor Dimitrov starts at 5:30 pm IST, 12:00 pm GMT.
Novak Djokovic v Milos Raonic starts at 11:30 pm IST, 6:00 pm GMT.
The live coverage will be on Ten Action in India. Global online viewers can live stream the live action HERE, HERE or HERE. ESPN will have live coverage for the US and Australia but to watch the action live online, click HERE or HERE.
