Nadal stages heroic fightback to win in Madrid

World number two Rafael Nadal staged a heroic fightback from two sets down to clinch his fourth Masters title of the year with a thrilling 3-6 2-6 6-3 6-4 7-6 victory over Ivan Ljubicic in Madrid yesterday. The 19-year-old Spaniard appeared to be on...

World number two Rafael Nadal staged a heroic fightback from two sets down to clinch his fourth Masters title of the year with a thrilling 3-6 2-6 6-3 6-4 7-6 victory over Ivan Ljubicic in Madrid yesterday.

The 19-year-old Spaniard appeared to be on the brink of defeat when he trailed the in-form Croatian and struggled to hold his own serve.

But the top seed, roared on by a capacity 10,000 crowd, turned the tide to claim a famous victory.

"It was an incredibly difficult victory," an ecstatic Nadal told reporters.

"The only reason why I can explain that I managed to turn the game around was the support of the fans here in Madrid."

Nadal's victory meant he equalled world number one Roger Federer's feat of winning 11 ATP titles this season. The pair have also mopped up all eight of this year's Masters Series crowns.

WTA Zurich Open: Lindsay Davenport (US) beat Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) 7-6 6-3 in yesterday's final.

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