Clay king Nadal continues to hold Indian sign over Federer
Sunday, 18 May 2008 18:00
Rafael Nadal remains world number two after beating Novac Djokovic in yesterday's semi-final
Rafael Nadal continued his dominance over Roger Federer on clay after a 7-5 6-7 (3/7) 6-3 win to lift the Hamburg Masters title.
The Spaniard recorded his eighth victory in nine matches against the world number one on clay after an epic final that lasted two hours and 52 minutes.
Nadal, the world number two, came back from 5-1 down to take the opening set.
Federer, the defending champion in Hamburg, squandered another lead in the second set before forcing a decider after winning the tie-break.
But Nadal, 21, sealed victory with two breaks in the final set to confirm his status as the favourite for the French Open which starts next week.
Federer looked set to upset Nadal with two breaks of serve in the opener before wasting two set points.
Nadal recovered from having treatment on his leg to reel off seven games on the trot to snatch the set with his trademark aggressive passing shots.
Swiss star Federer again gained the upper hand in the second set after breaking in game four following a marathon rally. But Nadal fought back from 5-2 down to force a tie-break which Federer won thanks to some pinpoint ground strokes.
It was Nadal's turn to seize the initiative in the decider with a break in game four. The three-time French Open champion sealed victory with a stunning crosscourt backhand shot.
The victory avenges Nadal's defeat to Federer in last year's Hamburg Masters final. 