Another first for 7-time champ Nadal

Rafael Nadal became the first player in the open era to win two tournaments seven times when he fought off tenacious Spanish compatriot David Ferrer 7-6 7-5 to win a thrilling Barcelona Open final

Rafael Nadal became the first player in the open era to win two tournaments seven times when he fought off tenacious Spanish compatriot David Ferrer 7-6 7-5 to win a thrilling Barcelona Open final on Sunday.

In a repeat of last years title match and 10 years to the day since he made his World Tour debut,Nadal came out on top in a claycourt slugfest between the nations two best players in the Catalan capital. The world number two,fresh from clinching a record eighth straight Monte Carlo Masters crown last week,claimed the giant Conde de Godo trophy for the seventh time in eight years with his 34th straight win at the event.

It was the 25-year-old French Open champions 48th career title and his 34th triumph on his beloved clay. Without doubt it was my most difficult match since the start of the clay season, Nadal said in an interview with Spanish television. I think that David more than deserved to win this title and I really wish him the best for the rest of his career.

Nadal made his ATP Tour debut at the Mallorca Open aged 15 on April 29,2002,beating Paraguays Ramon Delgado 6-4 6-4 in the first round. He is now only six short of Thomas Muster 40 on the list of open era clay title winners,with Guillermo Vilas the overall leader 45.

Ferrer went toe to toe with his Davis Cup team mate in a closely-fought first set but failed to convert five set points on his opponents serve when leading 6-5 and faded badly to lose the tiebreak 7-1. Meeting Nadal for a fourth time in the Barcelona final and chasing an ATP-best fourth title this year,he looked spent at that stage but after losing his serve to fall 3-1 behind managed to conjure the energy to break back.

He drew on all his famed stamina and tenacity to carve out a 5-4 lead but again failed to convert and Nadal produced probably the shot of the tournament to help break the Ferrer serve and level at 5-5. He just managed to get a racket on a Ferrer drive to lift the ball high over the net before anticipating his opponents smash and playing a miraculous return that surprised his opponent into offering up a simple volley. That appeared to be the final straw for Ferrer and Nadal reeled off the next three games,sealing victory with a backhand winner before leaping into the air to celebrate.

Sharapova ends drought
STUTTGART: Russia8217;s Maria Sharapova beat world number one Victoria Azarenka 6-1 6-4 in the Stuttgart clay court final on Sunday to claim her first WTA tour title of the year and end a two-match losing streak against the Belarussian.