ATP News : 2005


Nadal nails 11th season title with Madrid-win over Ljubicic

Madrid (dpa) - Fighting Spaniard Rafael Nadal came level with top rival Roger Federer Sunday with 11 trophies this season after a five-set comeback title victory at the Masters Series Madrid.

The teenaged, world number two stands alongside Federer with four Masters Series trophies each this season with one more event in the elite grouping yet to be played next month in Paris. Nadal recovered from what looked like a desperate situation
earlier on, rallying past Croatian hard-man Ivan Ljubicic 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3)for victory in three hours, 51 minutes.

Victory ended Ljubicic's winning streak of 16 matches and a pair of tournament titles in the past two weeks. The Croatian led two sets to love before Nadal sprang into action. The French Open champion methodically nullified the effects of 32 Ljubicic aces and 87 winners off the racket of the most successful player in the past month.

Nadal moved to a 79-10 record this season, celebrating his success at home with a champagne spraying "war" with the beaten finalist after the victory ceremony. Nadal also thanked the medical staff, who helped him through knee problems this week, advising earlier that he has been wearing a pair of "lucky" elastic braces which had been touched by holy water from France's Lourdes shrine.

Ljubicic is now a a solid contender for the November 13 start of the eight-man Masters Cup in Shanghai as he moved up to joint eighth position. He is the first Croatian to appear in ATP finals for three consecutive weeks since 1996, when Goran Ivanisevic reached four consecutive finals.

Nadal was thrilled with his victory. "Thanks to the entire crowd which supported me, it was a tough match for both of us. This is great, it's impossible to say how happy
I am."

Nadal has not been beaten in a final since a loss to Federer in Miami last spring. "It was bad luck for me playing Rafa, a Spanish guy, here in Madrid," said a smiling Ljubicic. "You were all against me," he joked with the crowd. "But it was really a beautiful feeling to play. I feel good for Rafa, he's young and will win a lot more matches. I wish him a healthy future."

Nadal sealed the win with a storming fifth-set tiebreaker, racing to 3-0, firing his sixth ace for 4-2 and winning on the first of three match points from a Ljubicic error. Ljubicic stamped his authority on the contest at the start as he battled through a break in the opening game to level with his Spanish rival at two games each.

With his huge serve working well, the eighth seed took a 5-3 lead with a break and collected the opening set after 30 minutes with an eighth ace. Nadal was forced to work at the start of the second, salvaging three break points to hold for 1-0 before sending a forehand frustratingly wide to lose serve, 1-2.

The Croatian challenger took a 3-1 lead on an easy winner to the open court, then piled on the pain with a break for 5-2. With Nadal desperate for a comeback, Ljubicic calmly saved a pair of break points in the eight game with serve and forehand winners. He finished with two more aces to lead two sets to love over the top seed.

Ljubicic had to fight early in the third set. After saving a break point in the fourth game with his 15th ace, the Croatian managed again before coming up short with a volley to drop to 1-3.

Nadal used his margin to good advantage, winning the 52-minute set to stay alive as he finally got on the scoreboard. The Spanish youngster carried on through the fourth set, riding the support of the crowd as he carried the match into a fifth and final set after Ljubicic failed to recover from a break in the third game.

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