Rafael Nadal completes full circle in Acapulco as the youngest and oldest champion

Rafael Nadal has embraced quite a journey in the last 15 years, staying in the top-10 all the time and lifting 19 Majors and 35 Masters 1000 titles. One of the greatest and most dedicated players of all time is just one Major title behind the all-time leader Roger Federer, battling with the Swiss and Novak Djokovic in the GOAT race and hoping to catch or pass Federer in 2020, especially if he claims the 13th Roland Garros crown in June. Back in 2004, the Spaniard won the first ATP title in Sopot at 18, repeating the feat in the next 16 years and standing as the only player in the Open era with 17 straight seasons with at least one ATP crown under his belt. Rafa won 79 matches in 2005, showing incredible consistency and unmatched fighting spirit that led him towards numerous triumphs in tough situations. Acapulco wasn't among them, though, as Nadal grabbed five straight-sets wins to lift the third ATP crown and the second in two weeks after Costa do Sauipe.

Unlike in the previous week where he spent more than seven hours on the court in the last three encounters, Nadal was the dominant figure in Acapulco, dropping 30 games in ten sets and delivering one of the most one-sided finals in the last couple of years to lift the trophy. The youngster ousted Alex Calatrava 6-4, 6-4, Santiago Ventura 7-6, 6-2 and Guillermo Canas 7-5, 6-3 after getting broken only twice in total, toppling Mariano Puerta (they would play Roland Garros final in June) in the semis to set the title clash against a compatriot Albert Montanes. It was the third ATP final for the more experienced Spaniard and the third loss, with an 18-year-old storming over him to forge a 6-1, 6-0 victory in 52 minutes! Serving at 78%, Rafa lost eight points in seven service games, never facing a break point and mounting the pressure on the other side of the net.

As the result suggests, Montanes was far from those numbers, dropping 60% of the points behind the initial shot and suffering five breaks from nine chances offered to Nadal to finish runner-up. The youngster had more than 20 winners and less than ten unforced errors, having the upper hand in both the shortest and more extended exchanges to seal the deal in no time at all and claim already the 17th victory of the season. Rafa held at 15 in the first game to get his name on the scoreboard, securing a break in the next game after a double fault from Albert and opening a 3-0 lead with three winners in the third game. Montanes sprayed an error from his one-handed backhand to give serve away for the second time and fall 4-0 down, with Nadal moving further in front thanks to an incredible forehand winner in the next game, forcing the rival to serve for staying in the set. Albert held at 15 to avoid the bagel before Rafa closed the opener with an ace in game seven for a 6-1.

The younger Spaniard scored another break at the beginning of the second set, cementing it with a hold at love after a volley winner and landing a forehand down the line winner for a break that sent him 3-0 in front. Rafa extended the advantage with a service winner and placed a backhand winner to clinch the break that allowed him to serve for the title at 5-0. Three winners in that sixth game were more than enough for a teenager to wrap up a perfect week and celebrate the third ATP crown, preparing the ground for an even better spring streak that would make him the Masters 1000 and Major champion. Fifteen years later, Nadal returned to Acapulco as world no. 2 and claimed the third crown (2013), becoming both the youngest and oldest champion of this prestigious ATP 500 event and extending his legacy once again. Just as in 2005, the Spaniard lost 25 games in ten sets, this time on hard court, dominating on both serve and return to wrap up five triumphs and grab the 85th ATP title.

Miomir Kecmanovic was the only player who won more than three games in a set, with Rafa having the upper hand in all the others to seal the deal in style, beating Taylor Fritz 6-3, 6-2 in the title match. Nadal lost only nine points in his games, taking down the only break point he faced and dominating on the rival's second serve to grab three breaks that kept him safe, controlling the pace with slices and a rock-solid defense that took power away from Fritz's shots. Rafa held at love in the opening game with a service winner and the youngster responded with three winners in game two to add his name on the scoreboard, attacking with the first groundstroke and looking sharp on the court so far. The Spaniard had no troubles at all in the third game, closing it with another unreturned serve to open a 2-1 lead and challenging Taylor to do the same to remain in contention.

The first break chance for Nadal came in the fifth game after some solid defense with slices that took the pace away from Fritz, squandering it when his forehand down the line finished just wide but getting another one after taking one more longer exchange. Taylor fended off this one as well, wrapping up the game with a forehand winner to survive and stay on the positive side of the scoreboard. Leaving those missed opportunities behind him, Rafa fired four winners in game five to open a 3-2 gap, creating a small chance on the return in the next game before the American took three straight points to level the score at 3-3 with a service winner. Losing just three points behind the initial shot so far, Rafa held with a service winner in game seven to move in front for the fourth time, seeking more chances on the return in the second stage of the opening set.

A forehand down the line winner gave him two break chances in the eighth game, seizing the first following a forehand error from the American and serving for the set in the next game. The Spaniard held at love with a forehand winner to grab the opener 6-3 in 37 minutes, taking a big step towards the third Acapulco crown, the first in seven years. It was important for Fritz to make a strong start in set number two, holding at love in the first game with a forehand winner and hoping for at least some damage on the return for the first time in the match. Instead of that, Rafa placed a forehand winner for a hold at love, dropping three points on serve so far and taking 11 out of 12 after missing the first! From 30-15 down in the third game, Taylor blasted three huge serves to keep the service game safe and stay ahead before Nadal secured the fourth game with a forehand winner, losing just one point and looking rock-solid behind his initial shot so far.

The American lost the ground on serve in the fifth game, netting a forehand to offer Rafa three break opportunities, with the Spaniard converting the third to open a set and a break advantage and stay on the title trail. After seven straight holds without losing more than a point in his games, Nadal faced a break chance in game six when his forehand landed long, fending it off with a forehand down the line winner and holding after a backhand mistake from Fritz to cement the break and move 4-2 in front. A forehand crosscourt winner gave another break chance to Rafa in the seventh game, landing a forehand down the line winner to seize it and move 5-2 up, serving for the title after a break. His first ace of the match at 30-30 earned the first match point for Nadal, converting it with a service winner to seal the deal and lift the trophy.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2VGSdeT