Rafael Nadal wins Barcelona Open

Rafael Nadal confirmed his status as king of clay yesterday when the Spanish powerhouse won his seventh Barcelona Open title with a high-quality 7-6 (7/1),u00a07-5 defeat of David Ferrer.

Spaniard Rafael Nadal celebrates after defeating David Ferrer in the Barcelona Open final yesterday. Pic/AFP

World No 2 Nadal went from one history-making weekend to another after claiming an unprecedented eighth straight title a week ago in Monte Carlo where he beat World No 1 Novak Djokovic.

Seven days later, he took nearly three hours to add to his records in Barcelona as he held off compatriot Ferrer.u00a0Nadal and his friend were playing their fourth final at the Real Club de Tenis, with Nadal winning all of them dating back to 2008. He now stands as the only man to win two different events at least seven times each.

"This was my hardest match since the start of the clay season," said the winner. "David always takes you to the limit.u00a0"I was lucky when I saved break points. The odds were on my side. In the second set David played very close, but I had the luck at the end. I'm so happy and I feel sorry for him. I'm starting to feel my game well on the clay."