Rafael Nadal prevails over Novak Djokovic to win 2021 Italian Open

Rafael Nadal has beaten World No. 1 Novak Djokovic 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 to win 2021 Italian Open.

Updated on: May 16, 2021, 23:55:19 IST

AP | New Delhi

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Rafael Nadal beat a tired Novak Djokovic 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 for a record-extending 10th Italian Open title on Sunday. The Spaniard recovered from a potentially dangerous fall after tripping over a raised line to take the latest installment of the most-played rivalry in modern men’s tennis.

It also re-established Nadal as the overwhelming favourite for the French Open, where he will be aiming for an even harder-to-believe 14th title starting in two weeks. Nadal beat Djokovic in straight sets in last year’s Roland Garros final.

The top-ranked Djokovic spent nearly five hours on court Saturday, when he had to rally for a rain-delayed quarterfinal victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas before winning another three-setter over local favourite Lorenzo Sonego in the semi-finals. Nadal played only once on Saturday, beating Reilly Opelka in 1. 5 hours.

In the women’s final, reigning French Open champion Iga Swiatek routed Karolina Pliskova with a “double bagel” 6-0 6-0.

Rafael Nadal

Stay updated with the latest sports news, including latest headlines and updates from the Olympics 2024, where Indian athletes will compete for glory in Paris. Catch all the action from tennis Grand Slam tournaments, follow your favourite football teams and players with the latest match results, and get the latest on international hockey tournaments and series.