‘Beast’ Nadal downs Tsitsipas to claim his 80th career title
TORONTO: Rafael Nadal held off a late surge from birthday boy Stefanos Tsitsipas to claim the 80th title of his career with victory at the Rogers Cup on Sunday.
Nadal overcame a second set fightback from Greek youngster Tsitsipas to claim a 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) victory in just under one hours and 45 minutes.
The win gave the 32-year-old Spaniard a record-extending 33rd trophy at the elite Masters level as well as his 80th title.
The Spaniard later said in a statement following the win that he had decided to adjust his schedule in order to preserve his fitness. “I am very sorry to announce that I won’t be playing in Cincinnati this year,” Nadal said.
“No other reason than personally taking care of my body and trying to keep as healthy as I feel now.”
The tournament started yesterday. Earlier, a vocal crowd of local flag-waving Greek fans had sang Happy Birthday to the 20-year-old Tsitsipas as Nadal reflected on a successful campaign.
“I feel I’ve improved every match, it’s important to win even if you’re not at your best,” Nadal said as he prepares for the US Open later this month.
“It’s been almost 10 years [2010] since I last played in Toronto,” Nadal said of the event which comes to the city in evennumber years as it trades with Montreal. “This trophy means a lot.”
The loss concluded the tennis week of his life for Tsitsipas, who beat four top-10 opponents in a row to reach the final. “It’s been an amazing week for me,” he said. “This trophy means a lot after playing my first Masters 1000 final.
“Rafa is amazing, he never cracks. He will always grab you like a bulldog and he will always make you suffer on the court.
“He was [once] normal like all of us, and he managed to become this beast, this monster that he is today.
“That’s how you feel when you play against him.”
Tsitsipas is taking the lesson he learned on court to heart: “I’m really hungry for more. I believe I can achieve much more this year.
“Although I lost today, I feel like I can still beat good players. I really want to make more points this year and get the best out of myself.”
Nadal added the Canadian honour to the titles he won in 2005, 2008 and 2013.