Rafael Nadal won the longest recorded three-set ATP Tour final to win his 12th Barcelona Open crown. The Spaniard beat Monte Carlo Masters champion Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-7(6), 7-5 in three hours and 38 minutes.
It is the longest best-of-three set ATP Tour final since statistics were kept in 1991.
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The win also took Nadal to a record 61 career titles on clay.
“I think I never played a final like this in this tournament, so it means a lot to me against a player like him, (after what) he achieved in Monte Carlo and (that he reached) the final here without losing a set,” Nadal said after the match.
“It is an important victory for me. I think I have been increasing my level during the whole week and this victory confirms it. That’s important for today.
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“To have the trophy with me here at home means a lot, but at the same time for the future.”
The first time Nadal won the title in Barcelona was in 2005. It had earned him a breakthrough into the top 10 rankings. It’s been 813 weeks since then, and he hasn’t dropped out of the top 10.
CONFIRMED: Rafael Nadal will move up to No. 2️⃣ in the @FedEx ATP Rankings on Monday.
— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 25, 2021
The recent win however, takes him back to the No 2 spot, behind just Novak Djokovic.
The top seed though had to work hard for the win. He saved a match point while serving at 4-5, 30-40 in the third set before winning three consecutive games to earn the title.
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This was also the first time the 34-year-old won the title in Barcelona after dropping more than one set – three.
Berrettini wins fourth Tour title
World No 10 Matteo Berrettini claimed his fourth ATP title by beating rising Russian Aslan Karatsev 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(0), to lift the Serbia Open title in Belgrade.
A fourth ATP Tour title for @MattBerrettini! 👏
The World No.10 outlasts Karatsev 6-1 3-6 7-6(0) to win the @SerbiaOpen2021. pic.twitter.com/wtJRgPWVgH
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 25, 2021
This was only the third tournament of the year for the Italian, after the Australian Open and the Monte Carlo Masters.
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His opponent Karatsev, meanwhile, continued his rapid rise on the tour. He made it to the Australian Open semi-final despite starting as a qualifier, and then won the Dubai Open before beating home-favourite Novak Djokovic to reach the final on Sunday.
