Rafael Nadal won his third title of the season in Madrid after beating Dominic Thiem 7-6 6-4 in the final. Nadal is now 15-0 on clay surface this season, and he is looking unstoppable. Dominic Thiem played well in this match, and he was close to winning the set, but Rafa once again proved that his nickname is well deserved.
The king of clay
Thiem started the match strongly, as he had a 3-1 lead after first four games. Nadal broke his serve in the sixth game and had three set points, but then a young Austrian showed his incredible offensive skills and pushed the first set into a tie-break.
And what an entertaining tie break that was! Nadal went on a 5-3 run, but Thiem won three points in a row and had a set point. He had another set point on Nadal's serve, but the Spainard saved it in style and won a tiebreak 10-8.
Rafael opened the second set with an early break and managed to save it until the end of the match. Thiem saved three match points before Nadal finally took advantage on his serve and won the set 6-4.
Here is what Rafael Nadal said after the game: "Honestly, I played against an opponent who will be fighting for the most important titles in the next few years. It was a very exciting match, and I'm very happy that I won.
This was an important game for both of us – for him, it was the first Masters 1000 final, and for me, it is always special to play in this unique tournament in Madrid.
You never know which competition can be your last one, so I always try to enjoy every tournament I play.“
Perfect clay season for Nadal
This was Rafa's third title of the season, as he remains undefeated on clay surface this year. He won ATP Barcelona and Monte Carlo Masters in April, after beating Dominic Thiem and Albert Ramos in the finals.
He won all of his fifteen matches on clay while losing only two sets.
Nadal is surely the main favorite to win the French Open this year. With Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic struggling with their game and with Roger Federer out for the remainder of the clay season, there are very few players that could threaten a Nadal's perfect run.
Dominic Thiem could be one of them, as he showed some great potential in the Madrid final.
There is no rest for "The King Of Clay.“ The next tournament for Rafael Nadal is on the schedule for this week in Rome at the "Internazionali BNL d'Italia" where he is seeking his 31st Masters 1000 title. If he wins it, he will become the best player at the Master's tournaments in the Open Era.
