Nadal wins Rome Masters title

[YouthFul]

ROME: Rafael Nadal won his record fourth Rome Masters title, beating defending champion Novak Djokovic 7-6 (2), 6-2.

It's the third clay-court title in three weeks for the top-ranked Spaniard, following victories at the Monte Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open.

He extended his winning streak on clay to 30 matches, stretching back to an opening-round loss to Juan Carlos Ferrero in Rome last year.

Nadal broke serve in the opening game of the match, but Djokovic had his chances in the first set before losing control for good in the tiebreaker, sending a weak backhand drop-shot attempt into the net on Nadal's third set point.

Djokovic then double-faulted to hand Nadal a 4-2 lead in the second set.

The Serb said fast conditions made it tough for him to handle Nadal's heavy topspin.

The match was a far cry from the Monte Carlo final two weeks ago, when Djokovic became the only player to take a set from Nadal on clay this year.

Djokovic led 23-19 in winners, but committed 40 unforced errors to Nadal's 22, mostly with his backhand.

Nadal improved his Rome record to 22-1 and is a tour-best 38-3 this year, winning five of the eight tournaments he's entered.