Rafael Nadal has won the Western and Southern Open by defeating the local player John Isner in a close final match yesterday. Nadal won the match in the straight sets by 7-6(10-8), 7-6(7-3).
This is the second consecutive title won by Nadal after his early exit from the Wimbledon Championships. He had won the Rogers Cup as well a few days back.
Talking to the reporters in the post match interview, Nadal said, “It’s fantastic to win a couple of successive trophies on hard courts. I have done that probably for the first time in my career. It really feels special.”
“John also played well. He is a very talented player and if he keeps working hard, I am sure he will go on to win a lot of big tournaments in future.”
On the other hand, Isner who was playing in the final of a Masters 1000 tournament only for the second time was looking disappointed.
The American player said, “It’s gutting, but, I am proud of the way I played in the tournament. I defeated some great players and even today, I managed to get so close.”
“I think Rafa is the strongest contender for the US Open. He is in blistering form at the moment.”
Both the players were brilliant on their serve. There was not a single break of serve in the entire match. Both the sets had to be extended into the tie breaker and that’s where Nadal’s experience came handy.
The Spaniard was very calm and calculative in both the tie breakers. He latched on every opportunity that came his way and ended up winning his 9th singles title this season.
With this win, Nadal has now become the second ranked player in the world.