Top seed Rafael Nadal won his eighth Italian Open title when he beat German Alexander Zverev 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 in the final. He recovered from an early break in the third set after a 50-minute rain delay.
Rafa and Sascha had each won two titles on clay this season entering the final, with Nadal lifting trophies in Monte Carlo and Barcelona and Zverev taking Munich and Madrid.
Rafa improved to 5-0 in his career against Sascha and gained an extra measure of confidence entering the French Open, which starts next Sunday.
The King of Clay won his 78th title – his 32nd Masters title and his 56th clay-court crown.
Today’s victory means that Rafa will reclaim the No.1 spot when the revised ATP rankings are released next week.
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well done idol Rafa…you’re one of the greatest players on earth 🎾💜🎾💜🎾💜🎾💜🎾💜🎾💜
Rafa CONGRATULATIONS on your great win yesterday.
All the best for Roland Garros,
Love and prayers,
AlaineXXSydneyXXAustraliaXX
Well done Rafa! Winning easy may have become boring for a while, so thanks for all the drama today:)
Zverev played excellent, but it seems that even divine intervention is on Rafa’s side. Good luck heading into RG champ!