Spoiler:
World No. 1 survives Stefanos Tsitsipas for fourth Rogers Cup crown
Rafael Nadal was at his ruthless best on Sunday at the Rogers Cup, overcoming a late charge from Stefanos Tsitsipas to seize his 33rd ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title.
With a trophy on the line, Nadal stepped his aggression, turning in a clinical performance to oust Tsitsipas 6-2, 7-6(4) on a sun-kissed late afternoon in Toronto. Five years removed from his most recent hard-court Masters 1000 title, victory was well worth the wait for the World No. 1.
Nadal is now 4-0 in Rogers Cup finals, also prevailing in Toronto in 2008 and in Montreal in both 2005 and 2013. His fourth title makes the Canadian Masters 1000 event his most successful hard-court tournament.
Tsitsipas capitalised on a dominant display off the ground to reach the final, unleashing his inside-out forehand often. After falling to Nadal in the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell final in April, he was hoping to flip the script with a powerful punch.
The adrenaline was flowing early for the #NextGenATP star. Perhaps too much. Nadal snatched a quick break in the third game with precision strikes from the baseline, and Tsitsipas rocketed a pair of forehands long to contribute to the Spaniard's cause. A running backhand pass punctuated a second break for Nadal, who raced to a 4-1 lead.
On Sunday, it was Nadal whose forehand was flowing freely, striking nine such winners in grabbing the first set in just 34 minutes. It was a clinical opener for the Mallorca native, who had his Greek opponent on the back foot and unable to find his rhythm.
The second set was on course to be much of the same, as Nadal snatched an immediate break in the first game. After finishing his semi-final victory over Karen Khachanov past midnight, fatigue was never a factor on Sunday. He turned in one of his best serving performances, reeling off a stretch of 20 straight points won on his delivery.
Tsitsipas had won just three points on return when Nadal toed the line to serve for the title at 5-4. But he refused to go down without a fight, capturing a stunning break to stay alive and add a sudden plot twist. The drama was palpable as Tsitsipas suddenly found his rhythm on return, earning a set point on Nadal's serve at 6-5.
But Nadal had a plot twist of his own up his sleeve, denying the opportunity and rallying from a mini-break down in the ensuing tie-break. The Mallorca native crossed the finish line after one hour and 42 minutes, seizing his first match point with a cross-court forehand winner.
Rafael Nadal was at his ruthless best on Sunday at the Rogers Cup, overcoming a late charge from Stefanos Tsitsipas to seize his 33rd ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title.
With a trophy on the line, Nadal stepped his aggression, turning in a clinical performance to oust Tsitsipas 6-2, 7-6(4) on a sun-kissed late afternoon in Toronto. Five years removed from his most recent hard-court Masters 1000 title, victory was well worth the wait for the World No. 1.
Nadal is now 4-0 in Rogers Cup finals, also prevailing in Toronto in 2008 and in Montreal in both 2005 and 2013. His fourth title makes the Canadian Masters 1000 event his most successful hard-court tournament.
Tsitsipas capitalised on a dominant display off the ground to reach the final, unleashing his inside-out forehand often. After falling to Nadal in the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell final in April, he was hoping to flip the script with a powerful punch.
The adrenaline was flowing early for the #NextGenATP star. Perhaps too much. Nadal snatched a quick break in the third game with precision strikes from the baseline, and Tsitsipas rocketed a pair of forehands long to contribute to the Spaniard's cause. A running backhand pass punctuated a second break for Nadal, who raced to a 4-1 lead.
On Sunday, it was Nadal whose forehand was flowing freely, striking nine such winners in grabbing the first set in just 34 minutes. It was a clinical opener for the Mallorca native, who had his Greek opponent on the back foot and unable to find his rhythm.
The second set was on course to be much of the same, as Nadal snatched an immediate break in the first game. After finishing his semi-final victory over Karen Khachanov past midnight, fatigue was never a factor on Sunday. He turned in one of his best serving performances, reeling off a stretch of 20 straight points won on his delivery.
Tsitsipas had won just three points on return when Nadal toed the line to serve for the title at 5-4. But he refused to go down without a fight, capturing a stunning break to stay alive and add a sudden plot twist. The drama was palpable as Tsitsipas suddenly found his rhythm on return, earning a set point on Nadal's serve at 6-5.
But Nadal had a plot twist of his own up his sleeve, denying the opportunity and rallying from a mini-break down in the ensuing tie-break. The Mallorca native crossed the finish line after one hour and 42 minutes, seizing his first match point with a cross-court forehand winner.
