ROME
Rafael Nadal set up a potential Rome Masters final with Swiss rival Roger Federer after dominating Tomas Berdych 6-2, 6-4 in the semi-finals on Saturday. Berdych had caused the first major upset of the tournament when he ousted world number one Novak Djokovic on Friday.
However, despite an improved second set performance against the fifth seed, the Czech could not match Nadal's power as the Spaniard put himself within touch of a second title inside a week following his Madrid Masters triumph last Sunday. "He starts really well and, of course, it's Rafa and we know how he plays on clay," said Berdych.
"It was a good start for him. Yesterday I had one chance that I did take and I won, and today I had one chance that I didn't take and I lost." Berdych had beaten Djokovic on Friday with a combination of big serves and smart shots from the middle of the second set. But the big Czech was given little chance by six-time champion Nadal, who after back-to-back three-set matches looked keen to get this semi-final over and done with as quickly as possible.
Nadal, who has now reached eight finals in as many events since his return from a seven-month injury lay-off, broke Berdych twice in the opening set, including in the opening game. Berdych's chances of victory looked slim considering the statistics -- he had beaten Nadal only three times in their 16 previous encounters. Only four of those were on clay, and all were won by the Spaniard.
Berdych started the second set positively by holding serve, but squandered his first break point in the next. This was a much tighter set, but Berdych's slim hopes were tempered by a Nadal forehand winner in the ninth game which gave him the break. The Spaniard sealed the win in the 10th game when Berdych sent a backhand return beyond the baseline. Nadal will meet Federer on Sunday if the Swiss second seed beats French upstart Benoit Paire in Saturday's second semi-final. Nadal will be looking for a 24th Masters title on Sunday.
A 30-second "shot clock" similar to that employed in basketball will meanwhile be switched on if a wrestler is deemed to be passive, giving him 30 seconds to score or else a point will go to his opponent.
"There is an added incentive compared with the old rules for more dynamic wrestling and spectacular throws," said FILA vice president and former US wrestling great Stan Dziedzic, who helped mastermind the rule changes.
Wrestling now has the task of arguing the merits of its inclusion in the Olympics at the IOC executive board meeting later this month against potential new Olympic sports with far less historic pedigree ranging from wushu to wake boarding. The government of Russia -- which has counted on wrestling as a major source of Olympic medals -- has been among the leading opponents of the sport's exclusion and told the congress it held the fate of the sport in its own hands.
"You need to show the ability to respond to the challenges and the threats and with a united front do everything to prove that wrestling deserves its place in the Olympic family," said Sports Minster Vitaly Mutko. Meanwhile, the congress also approved changes to the FILA constitution and structure to impress the IOC and confirmed the Serbian Lalovic, 55, as president until 2014, to replace wrestling's former strongman Raphael Martinetti who resigned in the wake of the IOC's decision.