2006 Internazionali BNL d'Italia – Men's Singles

2006 Internazionali BNL d'Italia
2005 champion   Rafael Nadal
Champion   Rafael Nadal
Runner-up   Roger Federer
Final score   6–7 (0–7), 7–6 (7–5), 6–4,
2–6, 7–6 (7–5)
Events
Singles   men   women
Doubles   men   women

Rafael Nadal successfully defended his title with victories against the likes of Tim Henman, Fernando González, Gaël Monfils and Roger Federer, who he beat in the final.

Contents

The Final

Rafael Nadal recovered from the brink of defeat against Roger Federer to capture the Rome Masters and equal the record for consecutive wins on clay. Nadal came back from 4-2 down and saved two match points in the final set before triumphing 6–7 (0–7), 7–6 (7–5), 6–4, 2–6, 7–6 (7–5).

The win, which took over five hours, took Nadal to 53 straight wins on clay, matching Guillermo Vilas' record. It also put the 19-year-old level with Björn Borg on 16 titles as a teenager.

Federer, who had beaten Nadal only once in five attempts before the Rome Masters, started well, clinching a high-quality first set after playing a near-perfect tiebreak. And the world number one was on top for most of the second set but Nadal's trademark battling qualities kept him in it and out of the blue, he somehow earned a set point at 5–4. The teenager was unable to take that one but edged another tiebreak to draw level.

The momentum was by now with Nadal and he looked to have made a decisive move when a break at 2–2 gave him the third set. He had chances to break early in the fourth set but the Spaniard let his struggling opponent off the hook and Federer made him pay. The top seed raced through the fourth set and took control of the decider by taking a 4–2 lead. The Rome crowd, including Prince Albert of Monaco and Omar Sharif, looked on in disbelief as first Nadal levelled at 4–4 then fought off Federer again at 5–6. Nadal's double fault, the first of the match from either player, helped Federer earn two match points but the world number one's usually reliable forehand failed him on both occasions and the Spaniard survived.

Federer still had chances to win in the tiebreak which he led 5–3, in particular when he mishit a forehand which would have given him a 6–3 lead. However, Nadal underlined his talent on the dirt by clinching the tiebreaker and wrapping up his fifth win in six attempts over Federer.

Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.

  1. Roger Federer (Final)
  2. Rafael Nadal (Champion)
  3. Ivan Ljubičić (First Round)
  4. David Nalbandian (Semifinals)
  5. Andy Roddick (Quarterfinals)
  6. Nikolay Davydenko (Third Round)
  7. James Blake (First Round)
  8. Gastón Gaudio (First Round)
  1. Guillermo Coria (First Round)
  2. Fernando González (Quarterfinals)
  3. David Ferrer (First Round)
  4. Tommy Robredo (First Round)
  5. Nicolas Kiefer (Second Round)
  6. Radek Štěpánek (Third Round)
  7. Thomas Johansson (Second Round)
  8. Robby Ginepri (Second Round)

Draw

Key

Finals

  Semifinals Final
                             
  1   Roger Federer 6 3 77  
4   David Nalbandian 3 6 65  
  1   Roger Federer 77 65 4 6 65
  2   Rafael Nadal 60 77 6 2 77
    Gaël Monfils 2 2  
  2   Rafael Nadal 6 6    

Top Half

Section 1

First Round   Second Round   Third Round   Quarterfinals
1   R Federer 6 6    
    J I Chela 2 1       1   R Federer 6 77    
WC   P Starace 6 6     WC   P Starace 3 62    
    D Tursunov 4 1         1   R Federer 6 6    
    J Nieminen 6 6         14   R Štěpánek 1 4    
    S Grosjean 2 1           J Nieminen 4 65  
    F López 4 4     14   R Štěpánek 6 77    
14   R Štěpánek 6 6         1   R Federer 6 62 7
11   D Ferrer 5 0         Q   N Almagro 3 77 5
    J Acasuso 7 6           J Acasuso 4 6 4  
Q   N Almagro 7 6     Q   N Almagro 6 2 6  
    N Massú 5 4         Q   N Almagro 78    
    F Verdasco 6 2 6       6   N Davydenko 66 r    
WC   S Bolelli 4 6 1         F Verdasco 1 6 0
    B Pashanski 1 4     6   N Davydenko 6 3 6  
6   N Davydenko 6 6    

Section 2

First Round   Second Round   Third Round   Quarterfinals
4   D Nalbandian 6 3 6  
Q   F Vicente 2 6 3     4   D Nalbandian 6 6    
    P-H Mathieu 6 6         P-H Mathieu 2 4    
    J C Ferrero 1 3         4   D Nalbandian 7 6    
Q   A Martín 6 6         Q   A Martín 5 4    
    D Sanguinetti 2 4       Q   A Martín 6 77  
WC   D Bracciali 6 2 4   13   N Kiefer 3 63    
13   N Kiefer 4 6 6       4   D Nalbandian 6 6  
9   G Coria 3 2             M Ančić 3 3  
Q   R Ramírez Hidalgo 6 6       Q   R Ramírez Hidalgo 0 78 77  
    M Safin 7 3 6       M Safin 6 66 63  
Q   T Gabashvili 5 6 1       Q   R Ramírez Hidalgo 3 77 5
    M Ančić 6 6             M Ančić 6 64 7  
    L Horna 4 4           M Ančić 3 712 6
    F Serra 6 77         F Serra 6 610 0  
7   J Blake 4 63    

Bottom Half

Section 3

First Round   Second Round   Third Round   Quarterfinals
5   A Roddick 6 6    
    V Hănescu 1 0       5   A Roddick 3 6 6  
    M Baghdatis 7 6         M Baghdatis 6 1 2  
    O Rochus 5 4         5   A Roddick 77 6    
Q   S Galvani 6 6             G Rusedski 64 2    
    J Novák 3 4       Q   S Galvani 64 4  
    G Rusedski 5 6 6       G Rusedski 77 6    
12   T Robredo 7 3 4       5   A Roddick 2 3  
16   R Ginepri 3 6 6           G Monfils 6 6  
    M Mirnyi 6 2 3     16   R Ginepri 1 6 4  
    G Monfils 6 3 6       G Monfils 6 4 6  
    T Haas 2 6 4           G Monfils 79 6  
Q   J Mónaco 6 2 3           F Santoro 67 2    
    F Santoro 4 6 6         F Santoro 77 6  
    D Hrbatý 5 77 6       D Hrbatý 62 3    
3   I Ljubičić 7 64 4  

Section 4

First Round   Second Round   Third Round   Quarterfinals
8   G Gaudio 6 3 3  
    X Malisse 4 6 6         X Malisse 2 1    
    P Srichaphan 1 3         T Berdych 6 6    
    T Berdych 6 6             T Berdych 2 4    
    M Youzhny 6 79         10   F González 6 6    
    A Seppi 2 67           M Youzhny 4 7 3
    S Wawrinka 4 4     10   F González 6 5 6  
10   F González 6 6         10   F González 4 3  
15   T Johansson 77 6         2   R Nadal 6 6  
Q   F Fognini 63 3       15   T Johansson 68 1    
    T Henman 7 77         T Henman 710 6    
WC   A di Mauro 5 62             T Henman 2 2  
    A Murray 4 4         2   R Nadal 6 6    
    F Volandri 6 6           F Volandri 1 2  
    C Moyà 1 6 2   2   R Nadal 6 6    
2   R Nadal 6 2 6  

References