Rafael Nadal closed in on an eighth Rome Masters title as he dismissed old rival Novak Djokovic 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 on Saturday to reach the final for a record-extending 10th time. Nadal, still unbeaten in semi-finals at the Foro Italico, unleashed a trademark clay-court attack after winning a tight first set lasting well over an hour. "I need to be able to play my best tomorrow," Nadal said of a Sunday final against either defending champion Alexander Zverev or Croatian Marin Cilic where a win will take him back to the world number one spot.