Rafael Nadal on Sunday completed a 6-3, 6-0 demolition of Russian Daniil Medvedev to win the Rogers Cup and extend his record haul of Masters titles.
The world No. 2 secured his 35th Masters crown, pulling clear by two in that category from Novak Djokovic, who has won 33 of the elite tournaments. Clay-court king Nadal successfully defended a hard-court title for the first time in his career.
“It was important to start the match in a good shape,” the 18-time Grand Slam winner said.
Photo: AFP
“He came in playing so well, playing a lot of matches the last weeks,” Nadal said of Medvedev.
Nadal, in contrast, had played just three hard-court matches since starting his build-up this week to the US Open, which begins on this Aug. 26 — reaching the final on a walkover when injured Gael Monfils pulled out of their scheduled semi-final.
“I played a solid match, my best of the week so far without a doubt,” Nadal said. “I did a lot of things well: changing directions, changing rhythm during the point. The slice worked well this afternoon. I think I played smart, I had a good feeling on the ball.”
With all that going for him, Nadal needed just 70 minutes to subdue Medvedev, breaking the Russian four times.
Hours later Nadal said he would skip the Cincinnati Masters, which began yesterday.
“No other reason than personally taking care of my body and trying to keep as healthy as I feel now,” he wrote on Facebook
In Toronto, a tearful Serena Williams saw her US Open preparations thrown into disarray as back spasms forced her out of the women’s Rogers Cup final after just four games, handing Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu the title.
Andreescu, 19, was up 3-1 with a break of serve when 23-time Grand Slam champion Williams decided she could not continue.
She called for a medical timeout, but within a minute, the umpire announced that she was retiring.
“I just knew,” Williams said, adding that she had undergone hours of treatment before the match to combat the back spasms she had first felt in her semi-final win on Saturday night. “I knew I wasn’t going to be able to continue.”
Andreescu approached her chair, offering words of encouragement and a consolatory hug as Williams tried to fight back tears.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t do it today,” Williams told the crowd, her voice cracking. “I tried, but I just couldn’t do it.”
Williams said the spasms started during her come-from-behind win over Czech qualifier Marie Bouzkova “and it just got worse.”
“Just my whole back just completely spasmed, and to a point where I couldn’t sleep and I couldn’t really move,” she said.
For Andreescu, Sunday’s events were a bittersweet achievement as she became the first Canadian to win the title since Faye Urban in 1969.
“I know how it is to pull out of tournaments and be injured — it’s not easy,” Andreescu said, addressing Williams directly during the trophy presentation. “This wasn’t the way I expected to win and for you to go off the court. I’ve watched you play so many times. You are truly a champion on and off the court.”
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two