BARCELONA, May 5: Rafael Nadal needed a rally after losing his only set so far of the clay season, overcoming David Ferrer 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 to lift a fourth straight Barcelona Open title here on Sunday.

The tight victory in two hours, 14 minutes sends Spain’s king of clay halfway down the road to duplicating a four-event winning streak from a year ago on his favourite surface.

“The first set I played almost perfect, but he was very strong in the second set,” said Nadal after claiming a 25th ATP title. “I’m pleased to have won in Barcelona again.”

Seven days after defeating Roger Federer to win Monte Carlo for a record-equalling fourth straight year, the three-time Roland Garros champion followed up with a popular home triumph in the Catalan capital.

Nadal improved his record at the Real club to 21-1, his lone loss coming in 2003.

10TH WIN FOR GONZALEZ

MUNICH (Germany): Second-seed Fernando Gonzalez picked up the 59,100 euros winners cheque when he beat Italy’s Simone Bolelli to win the Munich Open crown here on Sunday.

It was Gonzalez’s tenth title on the ATP tour and his second of the year after winning at the Vina del Mar in his native Chile in January.

Gonzalez took the first set on a 7-4 tie-break, but then squandered two match points to suffer a reverse when he lost the second set tie-breaker 7-4.

But the Chilean broke Bolelli’s serve in the fifth game of the third set and went onto win 6-3 in just over two and a half hours.—AFP