Rafael Nadal advanced on Saturday to the Rome Masters final, setting a record for most consecutive victories on any surface.

Just two days after visiting the hospital, Nadal lost a set on clay for the first team this season, but came back to beat fourth-ranked Russian Nikolay Davydenko 7-6 (3), 6-7 (8), 6-4.

Rafael Nadal falls to his knees after Saturday's win in Rome.
(Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

It was the Spaniard's 76th straight win on clay, topping the streak John McEnroe strung together from 1983 to 1985 on indoor carpet.

The 20-year-old Nadal visited the hospital Thursday to be checked for a dizzy spell and an apparent stomach problem. 

He is attempting to become the first man to win the Rome title three consecutive years and will meet Chile's Fernando Gonzalez on Sunday.

Gonzalez dispatched  Filippo Volandri of Italy, 6-1, 6-2.