Rafael Nadal has said that his 6-2 6-4 victory over Tomas Berdych in the semi-finals of the Rome Masters was his best since returning to action.

The Spaniard returned from a seven-month absence with a knee injury in February before going on to win titles in Sao Paulo, Acapulco, Indian Wells and Madrid.

"The first set was fantastic," Nadal told reporters. "I played at a high level and everything went well with no mistakes.

"I was dominating the points and following to the net. I think I played one of my best matches since I am came back."

The defending champion will now contest his eighth Rome final in a row. He awaits the winner of this evening's second semi-final between Roger Federer and Benoit Paire.

"Eight finals in a row is wonderful," he added. "Four to five months ago it was impossible to think about this. I hope to play very well. Any result will be fantastic."

Nadal's victory over Berdych was his 13th-straight success against the Czech number one.