. ▁It ▁also ▁put ▁the ▁ 1 9 - year - old ▁level ▁with ▁B jör n ▁Borg ▁on ▁ 1 6 ▁titles ▁as ▁a ▁te en ager . ▁▁ ▁Feder er , ▁who ▁had ▁be aten ▁Nad al ▁only ▁once ▁in ▁five ▁attempts ▁before ▁the ▁Rome ▁Masters , ▁started ▁well , ▁cl inch ing ▁a ▁high - quality ▁first ▁set ▁after ▁playing ▁a ▁near - per fect ▁tie break . ▁And ▁the ▁world ▁number ▁one ▁was ▁on ▁top ▁for ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁second ▁set ▁but ▁Nad al ' s ▁tra dem ark ▁batt ling ▁qual ities ▁kept ▁him ▁in ▁it ▁and ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁blue , ▁he ▁somehow ▁earned ▁a ▁set ▁point ▁at ▁ 5 – 4 . ▁The ▁te en ager ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁take ▁that ▁one ▁but ▁ed ged ▁another ▁tie break ▁to ▁draw ▁level . ▁▁ ▁The ▁momentum ▁was ▁by ▁now ▁with ▁Nad al ▁and ▁he ▁looked ▁to ▁have ▁made ▁a ▁decis ive ▁move ▁when ▁a ▁break ▁at ▁ 2 – 2 ▁gave ▁him ▁the ▁third ▁set . ▁He ▁had ▁ch ances ▁to ▁break ▁early ▁in ▁the ▁fourth ▁set ▁but ▁the ▁Sp ani ard ▁let ▁his ▁struggling ▁oppon ent ▁off ▁the ▁hook ▁and ▁Feder er ▁made ▁him ▁pay . ▁The ▁top ▁seed ▁rac ed ▁through ▁the ▁fourth ▁set ▁and ▁took ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁dec ider ▁by ▁taking ▁a ▁ 4 – 1 ▁lead . ▁The ▁Rome ▁crowd , ▁including ▁Prince ▁Albert ▁of ▁Mon aco ▁and ▁O mar ▁Sh ar if , ▁looked ▁on ▁in ▁dis bel ief ▁as ▁first