Nadal wins 35th ATP Masters title

RAFAEL Nadal successfully defended his Canadian Open title to seal a record-extending 35th ATP Masters triumph and then set his sights on the US Open.

The world No.2 retained a hard-court championship for the first time in his career with the 6-3 6-0 demolition of Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in one hour and 10 minutes.

Nadal won his 83rd singles title and third of the year after clay victories in Rome and at the French Open.

“The most important thing is to win, I’m not here to think about defending or not defending,” Nadal said after his record 51st Masters final. “It’s just a fact and it’s important to be back on a hard court to win another big title again.”

Nadal stormed to the first set in 41 minutes after Medvedev offered a break with a double fault and the Spaniard did not drop a game in the second set to earn his fifth Canadian honour.

After his win Nadal withdrew from the Cincinnati Masters, citing fatigue, with the final grand slam of the year just two weeks away.

Medvedev, who came into Montreal with a runner-up result to Nick Kyrgios in Washington DC, will rise one spot to world No.8.

MEANWHILE, Serena Williams’ first US Open tuneup ended in dramatic fashion as the American retired with injury while trailing Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu 3-1 in the Rogers Cup final.

Andreescu is the first Canadian to win the event in 50 years. With Andreescu 3-1 up, Williams immediately moved to her chair where she broke down in tears.