Hello and welcome to LIVE coverage from the final of the Rome Masters between world number three Roger Federer and world number five Rafael Nadal.

NADAL 6-1 6-3 - GAME, SET& MATCH! Nadal was not going to drop his serve twice in quick succession and finds a ferocious cross court forehand to bring up three championship points. He only needs the one though, finding another cross court forehand winner to secure the Rome Masters title for the seventh time in nine years!

NADAL 6-1 5-3 - A sensational drop shot from Federer, just milimetres over the net, brings up two game points for the world number two. But he only needs the one when Nadal misses a forehand across court. The Spaniard will have a second chance to serve out the match next though.

NADAL 6-1 5-2 - BREAK! Consecutive errors from Nadal, including a forehand into the net, hands Federer the first two points of the game. He quickly turns that into three break back points with a backhand winner across court on the angle. And Nadal nets a cross court backhand to hand Federer one of the breaks back. Federer is still alive but he will have to serve to stay in the match after the change of ends.

NADAL 6-1 5-1 - BREAK! Federer saves it with a great forehand winner but Nadal earns himself a second and this time he does break, somehow finding a backhand passing shot winner from out of the tramlines and two metres behind the baseline! Nadal will serve for the title next.

NADAL 6-1 4-1 - Federer brings up two game points with an ace - just his second of the afternoon. The first goes begging when Fed hits long off another forehand bullet from Nadal while another ferocious forehand return from the Spaniard sees Fed slice a backhand well short of the net to waste the second. Back to deuce. A Federer forehand goes long to hand Rafa another break point....

NADAL 6-1 4-1 - Umpire Carlos Bernardes is called down from the chair for the first time as Rafa is convinced a Federer forehand went long. Bernardes confirms that it did and Nadal has another three game points. The first goes begging on a double fault (Rafa's first of the day) while Fed saves the second with a smash winner. But Nadal does hold at the third attempt afrer a vicious backhand passing shot that Federer can only volley into the net while dropping the racquet, such is Rafa's power!

NADAL 6-1 3-1 - A much better forehand volley from Federer this time as he gets himself out of a potential spot of bother at 15-30 down. A forehand winner ripped down the line from Fed earns him a game point but Nadal does enough with a dipping cross court forehand that the Swiss can only volley wide to squander it. But a forehand winner followed by a backhand down the line that Nadal can only net and Federer does have his second game of the match!

NADAL 6-1 3-0 - Rafa dances around his backhand to drill a forehand winner down the line before going on to hold to love with a big serve that Federer can only net in return.

NADAL 6-1 2-0 - BREAK! Nadal breaks the Federer serve yet again, this time to 15 when he easily anticipates a cross court forehand volley winner and rattles the ball back across the court for a backhand passing shot winner.

NADAL 6-1 1-0 - Federer takes the first two points of the set before a careless volley into the net. Nadal goes on to earn himself a game point only for Federer to batter a forehand return of serve winner down the line but the Spaniard fashions himself another game point with a backhand passing shot winner threaded down the line and this time he goes on to hold with a big serve that Federer returns long and wide.

Wow! Emphatic from Rafa in that first set. Can Federer battle his way back into this match or will the second set by equally one-sided? Why not come say hi on Twitter? @pippawdavis

NADAL 6-1 - SET! A cross court backhand return of serve winner which is also a passing shot sees Nadal go ahead 15-30. He goes long with a forehand to allow Federer to level up but Nadal quickly has a set point when Fed hits a backhand long. And sure enough, Nadal does have the first set when Federer pushes a forehand volley wide across court.

NADAL 5-1 - Nadal holds to love to consolidate the break when Federer goes wide down the line with a backhand return of serve. Federer will have to serve to stay in this opening set after just 22 minutes.

NADAL 4-1 - BREAK! Nadal marginally misses a forehand down the line, putting the ball just long, but he quickly makes amends with a great return to bring up another two break points. And he takes the first for a double break lead when he eventually finds the angle he's looking for on the cross court forehand winner after Federer had managed to get a series of shots back.

NADAL 3-1 - Nadal races through a comfortable service hold to consolidate the early break. This is looking ominous for Federer already as Nadal has made a supreme start.

NADAL 2-1 - BREAK! Federer's forehand half volley catches the very bottom of the tape before rolling up and over the net for the perfect drop shot before a service winner sees Fed level at 30-30 from 0-30 down. But Nadal is quick to earn himself a break point which he takes full advantage of with a length forehand that Fed can only return long of his own forehand wing.

NADAL 1-1 - Federer produces a length return as he bids to fashion an early break point but Nadal is equal to the task with a forehand that Fed cannot deal with and the Spaniard goes on to hold from 30 for his first game of the afternoon.

NADAL 0-1 - Federer opens the match with an ace - his 240th against Nadal! - before going on to hold for the loss of just the one point, when Rafa sends a brutal forehand winner across court.

Nadal won the spin of the coin and opted to put Federer in to serve first so it will be the world number three to get the clash underway...

Nadal is seeking his seventh title in nine years in Rome and his sixth title in eight tournaments since making his return from seven months of injury in February.