ROME, 15 May 2006 — Rafael Nadal equalled Guillermo Vilas’ record of 53 consecutive claycourt wins when he beat Roger Federer 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 in the final of the Rome Masters on yesterday.
Nadal’s victory, his fourth in a row over the Swiss world No. 1, made him the first player to win back-to-back titles in the Italian capital since Thomas Muster in 1995-96.
The 19-year-old Spanish second seed had to battle all the way, though, coming from a break down in the decider and saving two matchpoints before closing out the contest in just over five hours.
Nadal, who has now won nine tournaments in a row on clay, will break Vilas’s record if he beats Tommy Haas in the first round of next week’s Hamburg Masters tournament.
Petrova Downs Henin-Hardenne to Win German Open
In Berlin, world No. 4 Nadia Petrova beat French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 in a thrilling German Open final yesterday.
The powerful Muscovite dug deep in the deciding set and gained revenge for her defeat by the feisty Belgian in last year’s final on the clay at the Steffi Graf stadium.
The 23-year-old went into the final with a 14-match winning streak on clay but had never beaten the Belgian on the surface in four previous attempts.
Henin-Hardenne had looked in blistering form in Saturday’s semifinals, humbling world No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo 6-1, 6-2, and made the better start yesterday in overcast conditions punctuated by the occasional burst of sunshine.
Petrova briefly left the court after the first set and reappeared with strapping on her right thigh but did not seem to be hindered in her movement on her return to action.
The tall Russian called for the doctor again after winning the second set and took a medical time out to receive treatment on her shoulder.
But she shrugged off the distraction to close out the match when Henin-Hardenne went wide on a forehand in the 12th game of the deciding set.
