Rafael Nadal regains No.1 rank
Rome, May 21: Rafael Nadal insisted on Sunday that his stunning 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 comeback win over Alexander Zverev which delivered an eighth Rome Masters title will have no impact on his campaign to lift an 11th French Open.
German second seed and defending champion Zverev was 3-1 up in the deciding set in Sunday’s final before two rain stoppages halted his momentum at the Foro Italico.
Nadal came back on court re-energised to sweep the final four games and claim victory for his 32nd Masters trophy.
Nadal remains the best clay-courter of the Open Era with an astonishing 408-36 record.
He will next seek an 11th French Open crown to match the 11 he already owns from Monte Carlo and Barcelona.
However, the 31-year-old insists that his impeccable clay court credentials will mean little when he heads to Paris for the second major of the season starting next Sunday.
“Conditions in Paris are completely different. I don’t believe that what happened, even if I lost — even with the victory — creates a big impact about what can happen in Paris,” said the Spaniard.
“But, winning always is winning. And, of course, the victories help more than the losses.”
For Zverev, it was a fifth defeat in five meetings with Nadal.
Nadal was 1-3 down at the first rain break in the final set but cut the gap on the resumption.
After a further half an hour off court during the second interruption, he came back out firing, winning four straight games to wrap up the win on his second match point.
“Of course, we can say that the rain helped me,” Nadal said adding: “A little bit of luck that I had the break back immediately. That was a big help. I think I played with right determination.”