"It's a very special moment, " said Nadal of the crowd's decision to break into song.
Fognini showed off his array of spectacular shots, nearly doubling Nadal's total of winners.
Nadal looked like he was going to spend a fair bit of time on court, too.
Nadal has raised his profile in recent years and the endorsements are starting to come.
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Nadal seeks to become first man to win eight titles at the same Grand Slam event.
In the first round, Nadal lost the first set against the hard-hitting Daniel Brands.
Fognini wouldn't seem a likely candidate to upset Nadal, no matter how tired Nadal is.
Nadal hasn't been able to practice as much as he likes because of the rain.
The Nadal-Ginard sale was a success in part because dealers bought works by artists they sell.
"He was trying to hit every ball as hard as he can, " Nadal said.
At last year's Wimbledon, Nadal lost to the 6-foot-5 Lukas Rosol in the second round.
In the lead-up to the French Open, Nadal also struggled against Ernests Gulbis, another big hitter.
And there is no way that Mr. Murray will even sniff the Federer-Nadal endorsement stratosphere.
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By early 2009, Nadal had won major titles on all three surfaces and mastered Federer.
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On Sunday, he beat Rafael Nadal in the Rome Masters, his fourth-straight win over the Spaniard.
Rafael Nadal, Robin Soderling, Novak Djokovic and Nikolay Davydenko kick off Group B on Monday.
Nadal turned 26 this month and could have another five years of elite play in him.
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Nadal, who completed a gruelling victory over Andy Murray on Thursday, looked out of sorts throughout.
Nadal, who won the tournament in 2005 and 2010, is seeking a record-extending 23rd Masters-level title.
The new stance seems to have given Nadal more time to control his service returns.
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Nadal and Djokovic have played 32 times (Nadal leads 18-14) and many have been astounding battles.
WSJ: Rafael Nadal, the Underrated Tactician, Stalks Novak Djokovic
Nadal will face compatriot Nicolas Almagro in the final at the Real Club de Tenis.
Three-time Miami runner-up Rafael Nadal will play British fourth seed Andy Murray in Friday's opening semifinal.
Djokovic and Nadal have played each other 34 times, with Nadal winning 19 and Djokovic 15.
Top seed Roger Federer begins against Colombia's Alejandro Falla, while Nadal plays Kei Nishikori of Japan.
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The Serbian will be looking to avenge his defeat to Rafael Nadal in the 2012 final.
"It was a dangerous, difficult match, " Nadal told the official ATP Tour Web site.
The 20-year-old will face either Marcos Baghdatis or second seed Rafael Nadal in the third round.
One of Nadal's main rivals, his compatriot David Ferrer, knows the task facing the challengers.
The stakes couldn't be higher for Nadal, a tennis prodigy like few prodigies before him.
WSJ: Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal: A Fitting End to the Year of the Tiger
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