The Latvian, ranked 40th in the world, gave four-time Roland Garros champion Nadal a nasty scare in the semis after dispatching Roger Federer earlier in the week.

"I thought he was going to be much tougher on my backhand against his left-handed forehand," Gulbis told a news conference after the semi-final which he lost in three sets.

"But actually I got into the game and didn't have any problems going into rallies with him." If Nadal's booming forehand is not the same as before knee problems interrupted his dominance of the ATP Tour's clay courts, the other players he met in Rome, including final opponent David Ferrer, were unable to take advantage.

On the other side of the equation, there are no shortage of positive signs for the Spaniard.

He looks in impressive physical shape after an injury-hit 2009 and the fact he survived the test against Gulbis suggests the stamina is there.

Nadal also repeatedly showed his remarkable speed and movement in the Italian capital, scrambling superbly to recover many of the drop shots his opponents tried to surprise him with.

"I didn't have any problems with my knee and that's an important thing," Nadal told reporters.

The world number three conceded his performances in Rome were not as good as during his Monte Carlo tournament win last month, highlighting problems in the first set of his quarter-final against Stanislas Wawrinka as well as against Gulbis.

But Nadal can take comfort from the fact that if he still prevails when below his best, he should be unstoppable when he gets his 'A' game back.

"I'm probably more happy about winning without playing my best than with my best tennis," he said.

Or, in the words of his in-form compatriot Fernando Verdasco: "If Rafa plays good tennis, then Nobody can beat him on clay."