Nadal Passes Gulbis Test To Set All-Spanish Final

World No. 3 Rafael Nadal passed his toughest test on clay so far this year Sunday as he withstood 50 winners from the racquet of Ernests Gulbis to defeat the Latvian 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 and reach the final of Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome.

At the age of just 23, Nadal will challenge for a record-equalling 17th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 shield when he faces fellow Spaniard David Ferrer in the final on Sunday. American Andre Agassi has held the record since winning his last Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati in August 2004, aged 34.

Nadal takes a 10-3 career lead over Ferrer into what will be the first all-Spanish final in Rome in the Open Era. The winner of Sunday's final guarantees a Spanish champion in Rome for the eighth time in the past 10 years (except 2008, 2002). Nadal himself is a four-time winner, capturing a hat-trick of titles from 2005-2007 before reclaiming the trophy last year with victory over Novak Djokovic.