LIVE: Nadal Leads Toronto Final
Final Sunday has descended upon the Aviva Centre in Toronto and a champion will be crowned as Rafael Nadal battles Stefanos Tsitsipas. The World No. 1 has taken the first set 6-2.
The youthful exuberance of the #NextGenATP Greek, who celebrates his 20th birthday today, will be on full display against the top-seeded Spaniard, who is bidding to extend his record haul of ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophies.
History is once again on the line as the pair clashes in the Rogers Cup final. Nadal is bidding for an unprecedented 33rd Masters 1000 title and first on hard courts in five years, when he completed the Canada-Cincinnati double in 2013. The World No. 1 is also seeking a fourth tournament title, which would make the Rogers Cup his most successful hard-court event. For Tsitsipas, the Athens native is hoping his Cinderella run in Toronto concludes with a maiden ATP World Tour title. He is bidding to become the first player to claim his maiden tour-level trophy at this level since Albert Portas (2001 Hamburg).
It is déjà vu for Nadal and Tsitsipas, following their final encounter at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell in April. The match, which was the Greek's first ATP World Tour final, resulted in a straight-set victory for the Spaniard. But, with a different surface and Tsitsipas in the form of his life, fans are treated with an intriguing championship encounter on Sunday.
Tsitsipas capitalised on a dominant display off the ground to reach the final, unleashing his inside-out forehand often. In the Barcelona title match, the slower conditions prevented the Greek from hurting Nadal with this potent weapon. But on a speedy hard court in Toronto, Tsitsipas was hoping to flip the script with a powerful punch.
The adrenaline was flowing early for the #NextGenATP star. Perhaps too much. Nadal snatched a quick break in the third game with precision strikes from the baseline, and Tsitsipas rocketed a pair of forehands long to contribute to the Spaniard's cause. A running backhand pass punctuated a second break for Nadal, who raced to a 4-1 lead.
On Sunday, it was Nadal whose forehand was flowing freely, striking nine such winners in grabbing the first set in just 34 minutes. It was a clinical opener for the Mallorca native, who had his Greek opponent on the back foot and unable to find his rhythm.