Hello and welcome to LIVE coverage from the third Rome Masters semi-finals. This one is between six-times former champion Rafael Nadal and fourth seed David Ferrer.

So, six-times former champion Rafael Nadal is through to the last four where he will face sixth seed Tomas Berdych, who defeated Novak Djokovic earlier in the afternoon.

NADAL 6-4 4-6 6-2 - GAME, SET & MATCH! Ferrer runs round the ball and absolutely batters it up the line for the winner that denies Nadal on a first match point. But a length forehand approach shot from Nadal ends up being put in the net by Ferrer to hand the fifth seed another chance. And this time Nadal does book his place in the semi-finals when Ferrer's foerhand return goes long.

NADAL 6-4 4-6 5-2 - Never one to give up, Ferrer holds to 15 to at least force Nadal to serve out this match after the change of ends.

NADAL 6-4 4-6 5-1 - Nadal squanders a first game point with a forehand long and then also a second with a backhand just marginally wide after a 20-plus shot rally. And he hands Ferrer a break back point when he comes into the net and puts a backhand volley wide. But he saves it before going on to hold with a big serve out wide followed by a forehand winner down the opposite line. Ferrer will have to serve to stay in this match next.

NADAL 6-4 4-6 4-1 - BREAK! Nadal earns himself another break point with a whipped backhand winner across court after Ferrer had done absolutely everything right in his bid to stay in the point. And sure enough the fifth seed does break for a second time with another backhand winner across court, this time a volley.

NADAL 6-4 4-6 3-1 - An unorthodox forehand volley winner from Nadal sees him get out of a spot of bother at 15-30 down on serve before going on to hold and consolidate the break. Nadal is edging towards the semi-finals now.

NADAL 6-4 4-6 2-1 - BREAK! Nadal brings up a break point with a flicked backhand lob winner but Ferrer saves it with a just about good enough drop shot that Nadal can only return into the net. Another break point is saved by Ferrer with an angled cross court forehand winner. But Nadal does finally break at the third attempt and he has the initiative back now

NADAL 6-4 4-6 1-1 - Nadal also posts a service hold to open his third set account. It was far from comfortable for the fifth seed as he could only hold after Ferrer had pushed him to deuce.

NADAL 6-4 4-6 1-0 - Ferrer whips a forehand winner across court for a passing shot on his way to an opening hold in this final set.

NADAL 6-4 4-6 - SET! Ferrer earns himself another set point and this time he does level the match, surviving a couple of Nadal smashes to rattle a backhand passing shto winner down the line. This match is going to a decisive third set!

NADAL 6-4 4-5 - Ferrer wastes a first set point with a double fault before Nadal draws a backhand into the net from the fourth seed to earn himself a break back point. That break back point turns into a berak back when Ferrer again nets a backhand and we are back on serve in this second set. Nadal will still have to serve to stay in it though, after the change of ends.

NADAL 6-4 3-5 - Ferrer just slips deep behind the baseline as he sets off to chase down a Nadal drop shot. It hands the fifth seed a game point, a chance he takes full advantage of to force Ferrer to serve out this second set.

NADAL 6-4 2-5 - Great finish to the game from Ferrer as he races through a comfortable enough service hold to 30 to move a game closer to levelling this match. Nadal will have to serve to stay in this set after the change of ends.

NADAL 6-4 2-4 - Nadal narrowly misses a forehand down the line to hand Ferrer two more break points. The fourth seed is unable to take advantage of either before Nadal earns himself a game point with a vicious forehand winner down the line. A drop shot seals the hold for Nadal when Ferrer can only put his backhand wide down the line despite doing brilliantly well to get up to it. The deficit is back down to just the one break.

NADAL 6-4 1-4 - BREAK! Ferrer saves a first break point with a cross court forehand volley winner. But he hands Nadal one of the breaks back on the second with an inside out forehand wide across court.

NADAL 6-4 0-4 - BREAK! Fantastic from Ferrer as he breaks for a second time in this second set. The Spaniard rushes in to the net to leap up to a high forehand volley, low smash and bury it in the open court across court.

NADAL 6-4 0-3 - Ferrer holds to 15 to consolidate the break and put some daylight between Rafa in himself in the early stages of this second set. A decent serving performance from Ferrer in that game as Nadal fails to find court with his forehand return of serve, after he had run around the ball.

NADAL 6-4 0-2 - BREAK! Nadal earns himself another time violation warning before Ferrer leaps all over a second serve and batters his forehand winner down the line to bring up a break point and this time he does break! The fourth seed does fantastically well with an aggressive forehand approach shot down the line before going back behind Nadal with his forehand volley.

NADAL 6-4 0-1 - Not even Nadal can make it back across court for a final forehand volley from Ferrer, the fourth seed probably thinking he had won the point four or five times already! It saves a break point while another goes begging for Nadal when his forehand drops wide. And eventually the fourth seed goes on to hold with a stunning forehand winner landed right on the line.

NADAL 6-4 - SET! That is the set for Rafa as he serves out to 30, sealing it when Ferrer cannot pull his forehand return of serve back into play from out wide.