Welcome to LIVE coverage of the first Rome Masters semi-final! It's an all-Spanish clash between clay-court specialists Rafa Nadal and David Ferrer.

Thanks for joining me for the first semi-final - we're back at 7pm when Roger Federer takes on Novak Djokovic for a place in the final.

NADAL 7-6 6-0 FERRER: GAME SET AND MATCH! Masterful stuff from Nadal, working his opponent ruthlessly around the court. Long from Ferrer and it brings up three match points... Nadal clips a forehand wide, then a service winner brings up 30-40... but then Ferrer goes long and Nadal is into the final!

NADAL 7-6 5-0 FERRER: Easy service hold for Nadal, who moves to within a game of the final. The match is over two hours, but the end appears to be night.

NADAL 7-6 4-0 FERRER: BREAK! That looks like curtains for Ferrer. He is still battling away, but his level has dropped significantly and he cannot live with Nadal. He has chances to win an epic service game, but cannot make them count. Nadal leads by 26 points to 13 in the second set; Ferrer has made 15 unforced errors to Nadal's four.

NADAL 7-6 3-0 FERRER: Nadal holds to 15 and he is in complete control of this set. The ragged Ferrer hits a double-handed backhand wide to end the game.

NADAL 7-6 2-0 FERRER: Break! Ferrer, now playing in a white shirt, is really struggling. He has won just four of the last 17 points and is in a real hole now. Nadal can scent blood.

NADAL 7-6 1-0 FERRER: More attritional stuff here as Nadal is taken to deuce on his serve, but eventually prevails. Ferrer has run 1,691m to Nadal's 1,527m.

NADAL 7-6 FERRER: Set! Crucial moment as Ferrer cedes a mini-break and Nadal serves for the set... long from the sixth seed, and the first set goes to Rafael Nadal! It has been an epic, 86 minutes to this point!

NADAL 6-6 FERRER (tie break 6-6) It's five all, and we're at the business end of the breaker. Service winner Nadal for 6-5, and Ferrer must win this service point. Brilliant winner from Ferrer! That's a sensational forehand, inside out to Nadal's forehand side.

NADAL 6-6 FERRER (tie-break 3-3) First mini-break to Ferrer, who hits a brilliant return winner to go 2-0 up. Nadal stops the rot with one of his trademark inside-out forhands taken almost at half-volley height. And there's the mini-break back as Ferrer hits a drop shot into the net.

NADAL 6-6 FERRER: Pivotal rally at 30-15 - they hit back and forth for an age, before Nadal spoons a backhand wide. Clay dust blowing across the court during that exchange. Ferrer has won eight of the 11 rallies of 10-plus shots. But the great man digs deep and takes the first set to a tie-break.

NADAL 5-6 FERRER: Ferrer responds with an equally effocient hold of serve - but this first set is already well over an hour old. Proper clay court stuff. The overall points tally is 40-38 in Ferrer's favour.

NADAL 5-5 FERRER: Better from Nadal, just about the first convincing sevice game we have seen from him - hoisting his first serve percentage up to 61%.

NADAL 4-5 FERRER: Fun point there, as Nadal somehow reaches a Ferrer smash and gets it back, but Ferrer puts it away at the second attempt - and a service winner sees him hold to love.

NADAL 4-4 FERRER: A break point for Ferrer, but Nadal fends him off with a strong first serve, and duly holds out. Ferrer has had 10 break points to Nadal's one.

NADAL 3-4 FERRER: Interesting stat here - Ferrer is placing 77% of his shots in rallies on Nadal's backhand side. Yet he has a fair smattering of winners on the other side.

NADAL 3-4 FERRER: Oh, Ferrer need that, and what a way to hold serve - some superb hitting, capped off with a beautiful cross-court winner to finish the game off.

NADAL 3-3 FERRER: Poor old Ferrer barely puts up a fight as Nadal levels the scoreline. Nadal still only getting 53% of his first serves in. Ferrer on 73%.

NADAL 2-3 FERRER: Break back! Oh, what a gift from Ferrer, surrending his serve to love. He will be kicking himself, big time.

NADAL 1-3 FERRER: Break! You can't say it wasn't coming! Ferrer finally capitalises on his opponent's unusually ragged start and converts his ninth break point! He deserves it. There have been 28 points in Nadal's two service games, to 12 on Ferrer's serve.