TORONTO (AP) — Rafael Nadal won his 80th ATP World Tour title Sunday — and spoiled Stefanos Tsitsipas’ 20th birthday.
The top-ranked Nadal beat the unseeded Greek upstart 6-2, 7-6 (4) for his fourth Rogers Cup crown and fifth victory of the year. He has 33 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles.
“If you told me this two weeks ago I would not have believed it,” Nadal said. “It’s a great way to start the hard-court season. Winning in Toronto is so important. You don’t win Masters 1000s very often. It’s a very important victory for me and I’m very happy.”
Nadal then withdrew from this week’s Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati to rest for the US Open, which begins Aug. 27.
“No other reason than personally taking care of my body and trying to keep as healthy as I feel now,” Nadal said in a statement.
And so the “Big Four” reunion will have to wait for at least a few more weeks. Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray haven’t played in the same tournament in more than a year. With Nadal’s withdrawal, Federer becomes the top player in the men’s bracket in Cincinnati.
The 32-year-old Spanish star also won the Rogers Cup in Toronto in 2008 and Montreal in 2005 and 2013. His previous four titles this year came on clay at the French Open, Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome. He also beat Tsitsipas in in the Barcelona final.
Tsitsipas reached the final by becoming the youngest player to beat four straight top-10 players in an event since the ATP World Tour was established in 1990. He began the run against seventh-seeded Dominic Thiem, then knocked off No. 9 Djokovic, No. 2 Alexander Zverev and No. 4 Kevin Anderson.
“Congratulations Stefanos for a great week – and happy birthday!”@RafaelNadal with some lovely words for the birthday boy today.#RogersCup pic.twitter.com/UBl5x6eqKA
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 12, 2018
Rafa wins the Canadian Open but the story of the week is the Greek Freak @StefTsitsipas who beat four Top 10 players and pushed Rafa in the final.
He’ll be under the lights at the @usopen https://t.co/31Wfj19DTK
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) August 12, 2018
In the doubles final, Finland’s Henri Kontinen and Australia’s John Peers topped Raven Klaasen of South Africa and Michael Venus of New Zealand 6-2, 6-7 (7), 10-6.
Photo: Getty
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