Rafael Nadal held off a late surge from birthday boy Stefanos Tsitsipas to claim the 80th title of his career with victory at the Toronto Masters on Sunday. Nadal overcame a second set fightback from Greek youngster Tsitsipas to claim a 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) victory in just under 1 hour 45mins.
The win gave the 32-year-old Spaniard a record-extending 33rd trophy at the elite Masters level as well as his 80th title. Later on Sunday, Nadal withdrew from this week’s ATP Cincinnati Masters event as he prepares for this month’s US Open.
The Spaniard said in a statement following the win that he had decided to adjust his schedule in order to preserve his fitness.
“I am very sorry to announce that I won’t be playing in Cincinnati this year,” Nadal said. “No other reason than personally taking care of my body and trying to keep as healthy as I feel now. I am very thankful to my friend Andre Silva, Tournament Director of the Cincinnati tournament, who after speaking to him on the phone understood what I said to him and understands the situation. I am sure the tournament will be a success and I wish him and his team all the best.”
The withdrawal leaves Roger Federer as the tournament’s highest seed in second. The Swiss did not play Toronto in order to conserve his resources, an example being followed by his main rival. Nadal will be replaced in the draw by a lucky loser.
Earlier, a vocal crowd of local flag-waving Greek fans had sang Happy Birthday to the 20-year-old Tsitsipas as Nadal reflected on a successful campaign. “I feel I’ve improved every match, it’s important to win even if you’re not at your best,” Nadal said.
“It’s been almost 10 years (2010) since I last played in Toronto,” Nadal said of the event which comes to the city in even-number years as it trades with Montreal. “This trophy means a lot.”
The loss concluded the tennis week of his life for Tsitsipas, who beat four Top 10 opponent in a row to reach the final. “It’s been an amazing week for me,” he said.
“This trophy means a lot after playing my first Masters 1000 final. Rafa is amazing, he never cracks. He will always grab you like a bulldog and he will always make you suffer on the court. He was (once) normal like all of us, and he managed to become this beast, this monster that he is today. That’s how you feel when you play against him.”
Tsitsipas broke into the world top 20 yesterday following his giant-killing run as he vaulted into 15th place. Tsitsipas, ranked 159th in the world one year ago, reached the final after eliminating four seeds along the way — Dominic Thiem, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Kevin Anderson.
Tsitsipas is taking the lesson he learned on court to heart: “I’m really hungry for more. I believe I can achieve much more this year. Although I lost today, I feel like I can still beat good players. I really want to make more points this year and get the best out of myself.”
Nadal added the Canadian honour to the titles he won in 2005, 2008 and 2013. The final featured a plot twist at the end, with Nadal broken while serving for victory leading a set and 5-4. Tsitsipas would not buckle, making it 5-5 as Nadal hit the net, with the set finally going into a tiebreaker.
Nadal regained control, earning a match point on a Tsitsipas forehand error. The Spanish world number one concluded victory with a forehand winner deep into the corner. He now owns five titles this season and has clinched the first spot in the year-end finals in London.
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