The first of the Mens semi-finals in Madrid was a vitally important match for Rafael Nadal. It would determine where his tennis and his mentality were on the run up to the French Open. The pressure was set firmly on the King of Clay's shoulders, but he handled it exceptionally well.
It was the Spaniard's best match of 2015 so far, he was confident, agressive and incredibly dominant. From the first point, Rafa looked like a man on a mission, absolutely determined to succeed. The first set was tight. As expected, Tomas Berdych came out strongly in his service games, not afraid to bombard Rafa with imposing serves and powerful groundstrokes. Rafa handled his own service games very well, giving Berdych a taste of his own medicine. The most impressive aspect of Rafa's game today was his forehand. It's his signature shot and when it works, he's unstoppable. Throughout the first set Berdych had increasing trouble holding onto his service games. There was a clear sense that Nadal was becoming even more dominant. However, the Czech kept hanging on and managed to extend the set to a tiebreak.
One of Nadal's biggest problems so far this year has been his mentality on the important points. Today, that seemed to have faded, as he confidently took the first set with a huge roar and celebratory fist pumps. That was a special moment. "He's back" Nadal fans whispered across the globe.
In the second set Rafa rose his game to yet another level. Berdych started getting frustrated as Rafa had no problem with pummeling him back with mammoth forehands. As Berdych continued to miss his first serves, Nadal could easily take control of the points on the Czech's second serves. His depth on his shots was very strong, something we haven't seen for a while. Nadal closed out the match quickly, taking it 7-6 6-1. It's his 41st masters final- the most ever reached in history. The victory today is crucial for Nadal's confidence. He's sure to be delighted with how he handled the occasion.
Today firmly proved that the King of Clay still reigns. There's still one match to go, but after the performance today, Nadal has got to be happy with his chances in the final. Tomorrow, Nadal has the chance to put the doubts away for good playing in the final against either Kei Nishikori or Andy Murray to defend his title.