Flashback Canada: Rafael Nadal follows Roger Federer, Ivan Lendl, Jimmy Connors

Competing in Toronto for the first time in eight years, world no. 1 and the four-time Canada Open champion Rafael Nadal claimed the 33rd Masters 1000 crown in Toronto 2018. Rafa took down a birthday boy Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 7-6, overpowering the youngest Masters 1000 finalist since Novak Djokovic in 2007! It was the 40th triumph for Rafa from 43 matches that season, delivering rock-solid tennis despite injuries in the early stages of the year. With this trophy, Rafa became the fourth player in the Open era with 80 ATP titles, joining Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl and Roger Federer. At that moment, Rafa was the only player with five crowns in 2018, securing three of those at the Masters 1000 level. Stefanos did a fantastic job to reach the title match, beating four top-10 rivals in a row (the youngest player to do so since 1973 when the ranking was introduced) and facing a match point against Alexander Zverev and Kevin Anderson.

It was his second ATP final after Barcelona in April, facing Rafael Nadal in both and still seeking the maiden ATP crown. The Greek gave his best on his 20th birthday, overcoming a break deficit in the second set before falling in the tie break, allowing Rafa to win the first ATP title on hard since the US Open 2017. It was a marvelous performance from Nadal until 6-2 5-4, sailing through his service games and dominating with his forehand to have the upper hand from the baseline. Despite that loose period in the last part of the encounter, he finished the match with 27 winners and 20 unforced errors, leaving Tsitsipas on 15 direct points and 25 mistakes. Nothing could separate them in the shortest rallies up to four strokes, and Rafa created the crucial gap in the more challenging exchanges from five to eight strokes and those that reached the ninth shot. After numerous similar matches in the past, Nadal made the best start, dominating his service games and using opportunities on the return to take the opener 6-2 in just 34 minutes.

In Toronto 2018, Rafael Nadal claimed the 80th ATP title over Stefanos Tsitsipas. 

He lost one point in four service games, and Stefanos was nowhere near that pace, serving under 50% and getting broken twice. The Spaniard drew first blood in game three after converting the third break point for an early lead, finding himself 4-1 up after 22 minutes thanks to a forehand error from Tsitsipas in game five. An outstanding forehand winner pushed Nadal 5-1 up, and the opening set was in his hands after another hold at love in game eight thanks to a forehand error from Stefanos who never found his rhythm or solve how to keep the points on his racquet. Rafa broke the youngster in the first game of the second set, and they both served well in the following eight games, leaving Nadal to serve for the title at 5-4. Stefanos raised his level in comparison to the opening set and was there to challenge Nadal with aggressive and well-balanced tennis that brought him the place in the final.

The problem was that he won just three points on the return since the start of the match, and no one could have expected he would do much in that tenth game either. Out of sudden, Rafa lost his momentum and got broken at 30, missing a chance to seal the deal and having to save a set point when he served two games later. He fended it off after a lucky net cord to set up a tie break where he was the clear favorite. Tsitsipas had an early mini-break but Rafa erased the deficit after a huge forehand error from the Greek in the fourth point. A service winner moved Nadal 4-3 up, securing a crucial mini-break when Stefanos' forehand finished in the net. Another weak forehand from the 20-year-old gave Nadal the championship point, and he fired a forehand crosscourt winner for a 7-4 and a title celebration.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2EapI2z