Italian Open 2018 semi-final: Nadal vs Djokovic live stream, TV listings & start time

Rafael Nadal will go on to what will be his 51st ATP Tour meeting with 11th seed Djokovic, a four-time Italian Open champion who holds a 26-24 record against the Spaniard.

Rafael Nadal will take on Novak Djokovic in the men's singles semi-final of the Italian Open 2018 — Rome Masters on Saturday, May 19.

When is the quarter-final match and how to watch it live in India

The much-anticipated quarter-final between Nadal and Djokovic will not start before 3 pm local time, 6:30 pm IST and 2 pm BST.

Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD will provide live television coverage of the match in India. The live stream will be available on Sony Liv.

Nadal vs Djokovic - Rome Masters 2018 preview

Nadal made it to the semi-finals in Rome for the first time since 2014 after a grueling three-set contest against local hero Fabio Fognini. The Spaniard lost the first set 6-4 but came back in emphatic fashion to win the next two sets and eventually seal the match.

Seven-time champion Nadal needs to win the Masters title to reclaim the world number one spot from Roger Federer, a title which he had to forgo after losing to Dominic Thiem at Madrid. Fognini, ranked 21st in the world, fought back from a 4-1 deficit to take the first set, but could not sustain that level of play as Nadal's quality shone through.

This is the first set Nadal has dropped in the entire tournament. He will have to be at his best if he has to have any joy against the 12-time Grand Slam winner, who is looking close to his perilous best after a sub-par season. Nadal will go on to what will be his 51st ATP Tour meeting with 11th seed Djokovic, the four-time Italian Open champion, who holds a 26-24 record against the Spaniard.

Meanwhile, the Serb got the better of Kei Nishikori in a match which lasted more than two hours. He fought back against the Japanese number 1 to earn a 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 win in an enthralling contest which saw both players exchange a flurry of shots to get the better of the other.

Nishikori was seeking only his third win in 15 meetings with 30-year-old Djokovic, who has played in seven Grand Slam finals against Nadal. However, Djokovic prevailed to win his fourth successive match for the first time since Wimbledon last year.

Rome Masters semi-final - Order of Play