They then met for a third consecutive tournament on clay, in the semis of the Madrid Masters. Nadal won a grueling encounter, saving three match points in the process. The match, at 4 hours and 3 minutes, was the longest three-set singles match on the ATP World Tour in the Open Era (later surpassed by the Olympic semifinal between Federer and del Potro in 2012). The match was voted the best match of the year by fans and critics alike. Djokovic admitted afterwards that it took him a long time to get over the loss.