2006 Italian Open – Men's Singles

Rafael Nadal successfully defended his title with victories against the likes of Tim Henman, Fernando González, Gaël Monfils and Roger Federer, whom he beat in the final.

Men's Singles
2006 Italian Open
Champion Rafael Nadal
Runner-up Roger Federer
Final score6–7(0–7), 7–6(7–5), 6–4, 2–6, 7–6(7–5)
Draw64 (8Q / 4WC)
Seeds16
Main article: 2006 Italian Open (tennis)

The Final

Rafael Nadal recovered from the brink of defeat against Roger Federer to capture the Rome Masters and equal the record for consecutive wins on clay. Nadal came back from 4-2 down and saved two match points in the final set before triumphing 6–7(0–7), 7–6(7–5), 6–4, 2–6, 7–6(7–5).

The win, which took over five hours, took Nadal to 53 straight wins on clay, matching Guillermo Vilas' record. It also put the 19-year-old level with Björn Borg on 16 titles as a teenager.

Federer, who had beaten Nadal only once in five attempts before the Rome Masters, started well, clinching a high-quality first set after playing a near-perfect tiebreak. And the world number one was on top for most of the second set but Nadal's trademark battling qualities kept him in it and out of the blue, he somehow earned a set point at 5–4. The teenager was unable to take that one but edged another tiebreak to draw level.

The momentum was by now with Nadal and he looked to have made a decisive move when a break at 2–2 gave him the third set. He had chances to break early in the fourth set but the Spaniard let his struggling opponent off the hook and Federer made him pay. The top seed raced through the fourth set and took control of the decider by taking a 4–1 lead. The Rome crowd, including Prince Albert of Monaco and Omar Sharif, looked on in disbelief as first Nadal levelled at 4–4 then fought off Federer again at 5–6. Nadal's double fault, the first of the match from either player, helped Federer earn two match points but the world number one's usually reliable forehand failed him on both occasions and the Spaniard survived.

Federer still had chances to win in the tiebreak which he led 5–3, in particular when he mishit a forehand which would have given him a 6–3 lead. However, Nadal underlined his talent on the dirt by clinching the tiebreaker and wrapping up his fifth win in six attempts over Federer.

Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.

  1. Roger Federer (Final)
  2. Rafael Nadal (Champion)
  3. Ivan Ljubičić (First Round)
  4. David Nalbandian (Semifinals)
  5. Andy Roddick (Quarterfinals)
  6. Nikolay Davydenko (Third Round)
  7. James Blake (First Round)
  8. Gastón Gaudio (First Round)
  9. Guillermo Coria (First Round)
  10. Fernando González (Quarterfinals)
  11. David Ferrer (First Round)
  12. Tommy Robredo (First Round)
  13. Nicolas Kiefer (Second Round)
  14. Radek Štěpánek (Third Round)
  15. Thomas Johansson (Second Round)
  16. Robby Ginepri (Second Round)

Draw

Key

Finals
Semifinals Final
            
1 Roger Federer 6 3 77
4 David Nalbandian 3 6 65
1 Roger Federer 77 65 4 6 65
2 Rafael Nadal 60 77 6 2 77
  Gaël Monfils 2 2  
2 Rafael Nadal 6 6  

Section 1
First Round Second Round Third Round Quarterfinals
1 R Federer 6 6  
  J I Chela 2 1   1 R Federer 6 77  
WC P Starace 6 6   WC P Starace 3 62  
  D Tursunov 4 1   1 R Federer 6 6  
  J Nieminen 6 6   14 R Štěpánek 1 4  
  S Grosjean 2 1     J Nieminen 4 65  
  F López 4 4   14 R Štěpánek 6 77  
14 R Štěpánek 6 6   1 R Federer 6 62 7
11 D Ferrer 5 0   Q N Almagro 3 77 5
  J Acasuso 7 6     J Acasuso 4 6 4
Q N Almagro 7 6   Q N Almagro 6 2 6
  N Massú 5 4   Q N Almagro 78    
  F Verdasco 6 2 6 6 N Davydenko 66 r  
WC S Bolelli 4 6 1   F Verdasco 1 6 0
  B Pašanski 1 4   6 N Davydenko 6 3 6
6 N Davydenko 6 6  

Section 2
First Round Second Round Third Round Quarterfinals
4 D Nalbandian 6 3 6
Q F Vicente 2 6 3 4 D Nalbandian 6 6  
  P-H Mathieu 6 6     P-H Mathieu 2 4  
  J C Ferrero 1 3   4 D Nalbandian 7 6  
Q A Martín 6 6   Q A Martín 5 4  
  D Sanguinetti 2 4   Q A Martín 6 77  
WC D Bracciali 6 2 4 13 N Kiefer 3 63  
13 N Kiefer 4 6 6 4 D Nalbandian 6 6  
9 G Coria 3 2     M Ančić 3 3  
Q R Ramírez Hidalgo 6 6   Q R Ramírez Hidalgo 0 78 77
  M Safin 7 3 6   M Safin 6 66 63
Q T Gabashvili 5 6 1 Q R Ramírez Hidalgo 3 77 5
  M Ančić 6 6     M Ančić 6 64 7
  L Horna 4 4     M Ančić 3 712 6
  F Serra 6 77     F Serra 6 610 0
7 J Blake 4 63  

Section 3
First Round Second Round Third Round Quarterfinals
5 A Roddick 6 6  
  V Hănescu 1 0   5 A Roddick 3 6 6
  M Baghdatis 7 6     M Baghdatis 6 1 2
  O Rochus 5 4   5 A Roddick 77 6  
Q S Galvani 6 6     G Rusedski 64 2  
  J Novák 3 4   Q S Galvani 64 4  
  G Rusedski 5 6 6   G Rusedski 77 6  
12 T Robredo 7 3 4 5 A Roddick 2 3  
16 R Ginepri 3 6 6   G Monfils 6 6  
  M Mirnyi 6 2 3 16 R Ginepri 1 6 4
  G Monfils 6 3 6   G Monfils 6 4 6
  T Haas 2 6 4   G Monfils 79 6  
Q J Mónaco 6 2 3   F Santoro 67 2  
  F Santoro 4 6 6   F Santoro 77 6  
  D Hrbatý 5 77 6   D Hrbatý 62 3  
3 I Ljubičić 7 64 4

Section 4
First Round Second Round Third Round Quarterfinals
8 G Gaudio 6 3 3
  X Malisse 4 6 6   X Malisse 2 1  
  P Srichaphan 1 3     T Berdych 6 6  
  T Berdych 6 6     T Berdych 2 4  
  M Youzhny 6 79   10 F González 6 6  
  A Seppi 2 67     M Youzhny 4 7 3
  S Wawrinka 4 4   10 F González 6 5 6
10 F González 6 6   10 F González 4 3  
15 T Johansson 77 6   2 R Nadal 6 6  
Q F Fognini 63 3   15 T Johansson 68 1  
  T Henman 7 77     T Henman 710 6  
WC A di Mauro 5 62     T Henman 2 2  
  A Murray 4 4   2 R Nadal 6 6  
  F Volandri 6 6     F Volandri 1 2  
  C Moyà 1 6 2 2 R Nadal 6 6  
2 R Nadal 6 2 6

Qualifying

Seeds
  1. Nicolás Almagro (Qualified)
  2. Alberto Martín (Qualified)
  3. Novak Djokovic (Qualifying Competition)
  4. Jonas Björkman (First Round)
  5. Wesley Moodie (First Round)
  6. Vincent Spadea (First Round)
  7. Fernando Vicente (Qualified)
  8. Flávio Saretta (Qualifying Competition)
  9. Rubén Ramírez Hidalgo (Qualified)
  10. Răzvan Sabău (First Round)
  11. Dick Norman (Qualifying Competition)
  12. Igor Kunitsyn (Qualifying Competition)
  13. Juan Mónaco (Qualified)
  14. Oliver Marach (Qualifying Competition)
  15. Guillermo García-López (First Round)
  16. Juan Antonio Marín (Qualifying Competition)

Qualifiers
  1. Nicolás Almagro
  2. Alberto Martín
  3. Fabio Fognini
  4. Stefano Galvani
  5. Teymuraz Gabashvili
  6. Juan Mónaco
  7. Fernando Vicente
  8. Rubén Ramírez Hidalgo

First Qualifier
First Round Qualifying Competition
          
1 Nicolás Almagro 6 6
  Flavio Cipolla 2 3
1 Nicolás Almagro 6 6
  George Bastl 0 4
  George Bastl 6 6
15 Guillermo García-López 2 0

Second Qualifier
First Round Qualifying Competition
          
2 Alberto Martín 6 6
WC Thomas Fabbiano 1 2
2 Alberto Martín 6 6
12 Igor Kunitsyn 3 4
  Gilles Elseneer 3 4
12 Igor Kunitsyn 6 6

Third Qualifier
First Round Qualifying Competition
          
3 Novak Djokovic 6 6
  Francesco Aldi 2 3
3 Novak Djokovic 64 6 3
WC Fabio Fognini 77 1 6
WC Fabio Fognini 6 6
10 Răzvan Sabău 2 4

Fourth Qualifier
First Round Qualifying Competition
          
4 Jonas Björkman 4 4
WC Stefano Galvani 6 6
WC Stefano Galvani 6 1 6
16 Juan Antonio Marín 2 6 1
  Evgeny Korolev 1 4
16 Juan Antonio Marín 6 6

Fifth Qualifier
First Round Qualifying Competition
          
5 Wesley Moodie 7 5 2
  Teymuraz Gabashvili 5 7 6
  Teymuraz Gabashvili 6 4 6
11 Dick Norman 3 6 1
  Alejandro Falla 1 2
11 Dick Norman 6 6

Sixth Qualifier
First Round Qualifying Competition
          
6 Vincent Spadea 1 5
  Giorgio Galimberti 6 7
  Giorgio Galimberti 3 2
13 Juan Mónaco 6 6
  Federico Luzzi 2 2
13 Juan Mónaco 6 6

Seventh Qualifier
First Round Qualifying Competition
          
7 Fernando Vicente 6 6
  Lars Burgsmüller 4 1
7 Fernando Vicente 6 6
14 Oliver Marach 3 3
  Antony Dupuis 66 3
14 Oliver Marach 78 6

Eighth Qualifier
First Round Qualifying Competition
          
8 Flávio Saretta 6 6
  Nicolás Lapentti 4 2
8 Flávio Saretta 4 6 3
9 Rubén Ramírez Hidalgo 6 4 6
WC Gianluca Naso 4 3
9 Rubén Ramírez Hidalgo 6 6
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