ATP roundup: Rafael Nadal claims 12th Barcelona title

Oct 11, 2020;  Paris, France; Rafael Nadal (ESP) in action during his match against Novak Djokovic (SRB) on day 15 at Stade Roland Garros. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports

Oct 11, 2020; Paris, France; Rafael Nadal (ESP) in action during his match against Novak Djokovic (SRB) on day 15 at Stade Roland Garros. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports

Top-seeded Spaniard Rafael Nadal saved a championship point and outlasted No. 2 Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece 6-4, 6-7 (6), 7-5 on Sunday to win the Barcelona Open for a record-extending 12th time.

It is the 61st tour-level title on clay for Nadal, who was on the brink of defeat trailing 4-5 and 30-40 in the deciding set before winning the final three games of the three-hour, 38-minute battle.

Tsitsipas, who fought off two championship points in the second set to force the decider, fell to 2-7 against Nadal. Nadal also defeated Tsitsipas in the 2018 Barcelona final.

Serbia Open

No. 2 seed Matteo Berrettini of Italy fired nine aces and won the title in Belgrade with a 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (0) victory against No. 3 seed Aslan Karatsev of Russia.

The 25-year-old Berrettini broke Karatsev three times during the two-hour, 30-minute match and improved to 4-1 in ATP Tour finals, winning his first title since the 2019 Stuttgart Open.

After stunning World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, Karatsev came up short in his bid for his second title in 2021 (Dubai).

–Field Level Media

Exit mobile version