A day after setting a record for most victories on one surface, Rafael Nadal became the only player to win three straight Rome Masters titles.
The No. 2 Nadal beat Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 6-2, 6-2 in the title match Sunday.
But before reaching the final, the Spaniard had to overcome a dizzy spell and an apparent stomach problem that forced him to go to the hospital. He also spent nearly four hours on the court against Nikolay Davydenko in the semifinals.
“I’m in the best moment of my career, playing better than ever,” Nadal said.
This was Nadal’s fourth ATP title of the year. He also won in Indian Wells, Calif.; Monte Carlo, Monaco; and Barcelona, Spain. He has a 21-3 career record in finals.
Rome is a key clay-court warmup for the French Open starting May 27. Thomas Muster and Jaroslav Drobny also won in Rome three times, but not in succession.
*Serbian teenager Ana Ivanovic, hobbling on a taped right foot, won the German Open by beating Svetlana Kuznetsova 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) in Berlin. The 19-year-old won her third career title, defeating a top-10 player for the eighth time. She will reach the top 10 in the new rankings.
*Akiko Morigami of Japan won her first WTA title, defeating an ailing Marion Bartoli of France 6-1, 6-3 in the Prague Open final.
