The game was played with the roof closed. This should have benefited but it was Federer who beat Nadal for victory 16 in 24 matches on Basel.
The Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal has been ranked the third consecutive year for the final of the Mutua Madrid Open, 1000 Masters quarter of the season, to break Roger Federer and will play their fourth final in the Spanish capital, where he has won titles in 2005 (hard courts) and 2010.
The world number one needed to go back to the Basel, but ended up imposing 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 in a game that exceeded two and a half and played with the roof closed by the threat of storm and that if the party starts with the Magic Box closed, ending the same way.
The Spaniard, who for the first time in his career played with a black ribbon in memory of Severiano Ballesteros, still can not find his best form, but before the chance to win his third twisted morning of the course, after victories in Monte Carlo and the Conde de Godo.
Nadal began to rule, with a `break 'in the first game to put the game face. But his approach, too static and rely solely on attacking the backhand of Federer ended up spending bill. Thus, in the fourth game had to save three break points' "and that notice did not react.
The Swiss became increasingly comfortable, no do heavy physical work, and making the mistakes of the Spaniard, who paid their poor offensive fitting a break in the eighth game back marker eal tables (4-4). There reacted timidly and had three new balls of `break 'to get ahead in the eleventh game, but the success of network and ally Federer twice against him, keep him from.
Nothing was coming into Spanish, which seeks its twenty Masters and met a few days ago 500 victory in the circuit, and was not able to change strategy that cost him his first race since the Swiss took the first ball of the rest in September to close the set.
Nadal is reinvented
Anyway, the rest gave fresh start, the Spaniard, who jumped like a cyclone and opting for a quicker game won the first four games, offering great feelings to rest as much with 'drive', his opponent, however, errors multiplied unforced -16 in the set, and it was not even kick with his right.
The third set began with a tense calm. Erratic Federer and Nadal slightly more toned waiting for their chance. And his moment came in the fourth game, a questionable ball-the second to the Swiss protested after the 1-0 in the second set, allowed the Balearic use his first ball of `break 'in the fourth game.
With the audience completely overturned encourage, Nadal needed only go with the inertia. Federer never gave up and enjoyed a bunch of `break 'to extend the match in the ninth game but the Spaniard no pulse trembled and closed the match.
Now, his next opponent is Novak Djokovic, unbeaten this season. The Spaniard will seek revenge for two defeats in the finals of Indian Wells and Miami, but has a favorable 16-9 and 9 victories in the previous meetings on clay.