Coming Back From Breaks

What Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal both know personally after the Internazionali BNL d'Italia final is the feeling of coming back from breaks.

Roger took a seven week hiatus from the courts earlier in the year to facilitate a training block in his native Switzerland, while Nadal has been working through a lighter schedule, one of the many adjustments since his return from injury in the South American swing.

In the match, there were also breaks from which both men came back. And who to strike first but the six-time champion?

Both men held serve characteristically until Nadal made good on a break of serve opportunity to go up 3-1. With a spicy backhand return, Rafa snagged the first point of the fifth game, staying with Federer well enough to draw the errors and convert a second break chance for a 4-1 lead. Federer would be broken a third time to give Rafa a comfortable one set lead (6-1).

Set two, game one featured some interesting exchanges at the net but the Mallorcan would still hold serve. Piling up more errors and a paltry first-serve percentage, Roger was down 15-40 when he played a poor drop-shot that Nadal returned with interest - the sort of cross-court backhand passing shot that Rafa eats for breakfast - to lead by a break.

Not to be outplayed with such unimpressive figures, Federer produced brilliance on a second serve point at 30-all in the fourth game, nailing his signature one-hander right on the service line. He would hold serve for the second time in the match a bit more definitively.

As Nadal served at 40-30 in the fifth game, Federer tried another drop-shot but knocked his racket against a FedEx box near the net while attempting to intercept Nadal's backhand pass reply. The Spaniard held serve, now up a set and 4-1.

Despite having adroit hands at the net, Federer found that his surplus of errors, coupled with Nadal's unmanageably heavy topspin, would betray him at the cost of yet another break conversion.

Nadal showed the only signs of weakness when he served for the match at 5-1, missing easy forehands and seeming nervous and flat-footed. Federer capitalized big-time, breaking Rafa's serve to love on his first break chances of the match. Finally rolling with some momentum, the Swiss Master would consolidate the break and give himself a fighting chance at 3-5.

Serving for the match a second time, Rafa quickly regained his focus to procure three championship points. Quick as lightning, his first serve went in, Roger's return sailed out long and he'd done it. The King of Clay had conquered Rome a record eight times, improved his 2013 finals record to 6-2, his H2H against Federer to 20-10 and his assortment of clay title trophies to a stunning career total of 56.

Congratulations, KoC Rafael Nadal.

In typical Rafa style, Nadal bites the trophy after defeating Federer in the Rome 2013 final.