Rafael Nadal continued his clay domination on Friday, rallying from a set down to reach the Italian Open semifinals with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Fabio Fognini. the world number two needs to lift an eighth career title at the Foro Italico on Sunday to return to the top of the ATP rankings after losing that position to Roger Federer last week.
Spaniard Nadal dropped the opening set in an hour but re - grouped effortlessly as he swept past the Italian in the one sided second and third sets of their quarterfinal tie.
"I" m not used to playing so early," Nadal said of his midday stat. "But I"m very happy to be in the semifinals.
"This was a very important win for me today."
Nadal also beat Fognini in Rome in 2013 in their first ever meeting.
This was his 11th victory in 14 meetings with the 21st ranked Italian, and sixth in a row.
It was the first time in four years that Nadal managed to win his quarterfinal tie in Rome and next up he will face either fellow former world number one Novak Djokovic or Japan's Kei Nishikori.
The 31 year old top seed was joined as semifinalist by women's fourth seed Elina Svitolina, who recovered from a slow start to defeat former world number one Angelique Kerber of Germany 6-4,6-4.
Earlier, Rafael Nadal brushed aside Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov with a 6-4, 6-1 victory while Novak Djokovic showed he is on the comeback trail by reaching his first quarterfinal of 2018.
Nadal has already won his 11th titles in Montecarlo and Barcelona during the current clay court season, but has lost in the quarterfinals in each of the last three years in Italy.
He was far too strong for Shapovalov, taking the opening set with a break in the seventh game before racing through the second to gain a measure of revenge for his shock defeat by the 19 ear old in Montreal last year.
Spaniard Nadal dropped the opening set in an hour but re - grouped effortlessly as he swept past the Italian in the one sided second and third sets of their quarterfinal tie."I" m not used to playing so early," Nadal said of his midday stat. "But I"m very happy to be in the semifinals.
"This was a very important win for me today."
Nadal also beat Fognini in Rome in 2013 in their first ever meeting.
This was his 11th victory in 14 meetings with the 21st ranked Italian, and sixth in a row.
It was the first time in four years that Nadal managed to win his quarterfinal tie in Rome and next up he will face either fellow former world number one Novak Djokovic or Japan's Kei Nishikori.
The 31 year old top seed was joined as semifinalist by women's fourth seed Elina Svitolina, who recovered from a slow start to defeat former world number one Angelique Kerber of Germany 6-4,6-4.
Earlier, Rafael Nadal brushed aside Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov with a 6-4, 6-1 victory while Novak Djokovic showed he is on the comeback trail by reaching his first quarterfinal of 2018.
Nadal has already won his 11th titles in Montecarlo and Barcelona during the current clay court season, but has lost in the quarterfinals in each of the last three years in Italy.
He was far too strong for Shapovalov, taking the opening set with a break in the seventh game before racing through the second to gain a measure of revenge for his shock defeat by the 19 ear old in Montreal last year.