Rafa Nadal became the first player in the open era to win two tournaments seven times when he fought off tenacious Spanish compatriot David Ferrer 7-6 7-5 to win a thrilling Barcelona Open final yesterday.
In a repeat of last year’s title match and 10 years to the day since he made his World Tour debut, Nadal came out on top in a claycourt slugfest between the nation’s two best players that wowed the capacity crowd in the Catalan capital.
The world number two, fresh from clinching a record eighth straight Monte Carlo Masters crown last week, claimed the giant Conde de Godo trophy for the seventh time in eight years with his 34th straight win at the event.
It was the 25-year-old French Open champion’s 48th career title and his 34th triumph on his beloved clay.