Rafael Nadal claimed his 80th title as he won the Rogers Cup, despite the gallant efforts of Stefanos Tsitsipas. This was good for the Spaniard as the young Greek player was the surprise package in the tournament and his fairytale looked like it could continue when he made it through to the final to play on his 20th birthday.
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After impressive wins against Djokovic, Thiem and Zverev, he then beat Kevin Anderson in the semi-final. The great run has seen him climb twelve places in the ATP Rankings to push his way into the top 20 at 15th. What a way to spend your 20th birthday – playing against the World No. 1 in the final of the Rogers Cup!
Nadal wins 6-2, 7-6 (7-4)
In the end, Nadal’s experience and ability were just too much for Tsitsipas as Nadal recorded a 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) win over the birthday boy. Nadal became the fourth player in the Open Era to win 80 titles. Despite this great achievement, he still had time to provide his thoughts on his young opponent: “He’s a great player and he has great potential. He’s brave, he’s young and he’s got the right energy so he has a great future.”
Tsitsipas has a bright future ahead of him
Tsitsipas’ performances have ensured that he caught the attention of tennis fans around the world and it looks like he has a very bright future ahead. The US Open is almost here and he could really make a statement if he has a good tournament. Nadal will be looking to add yet another Grand Slam to his collection, with the added motivation being his pursuit of catching Rod Laver’s 19 Grand Slams and Roger Federer’s 20.
ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati is this week
Tennis fans will be switching their attention over to Cincinnati this week, where both Andy Murray and Roger Federer are on their comeback trails. If they can find some good form before the end of August then the US Open could be another very exciting one this year.