BARCELONA, Spain — Rafael Nadal saved a match level on his approach to beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-Four, 6-7 (6), 7-5 on Sunday within the Barcelona Open last, successful the title for a report 12th time.
It was the primary title of the 12 months for the third-ranked Nadal, who has been struggling to search out his finest type. He secured the clay-court title by changing on his third match level.
The match lasted three hours, 38 minutes, making it the longest best-of-three set ATP last since stats began being tracked in 1991. It was additionally the longest best-of-three ATP match to this point this 12 months.
It was Nadal’s seventh title prior to now 10 editions of the Barcelona Open, and 12th in 16 editions. The match was not performed final 12 months due to the pandemic.
Nadal additionally wanted three units to advance in his first two matches in Barcelona. He was coming off a loss to Andrey Rublev within the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters final week, a match that Tsitsipas received in a last towards Rublev.
Tsitsipas, who had not misplaced a set on his approach to the ultimate in Barcelona, had overwhelmed Nadal within the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.
Nadal was behind from the beginning however received 4 straight video games to take the primary set. The highest-seeded Spaniard received off to a different sluggish begin within the second set and wanted one other late break. He wasted two match factors at 5-Four, then saved three consecutive break factors within the following sport.
Tsitsipas transformed on his third set level of the tiebreaker to power a 3rd set. The Greek then himself squandered a match level when 5-Four forward. Nadal survived, successful three straight video games for the title.
Tsitsipas, the second-seeded participant in Barcelona, was in search of his 27th win this season to surpass Rublev as the highest winner on the boys’s circuit.
The 34-year-old Nadal has received all 12 finals he reached in Barcelona. He dominated the match in his dwelling nation from 2005-09, 2011-13 and 2016-18. He misplaced within the 2019 semifinals to eventual champion Dominic Thiem.