Nadal Claims World No. 2 Ranking After Winning in Cincinnati
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Matthew Stockman/Getty Images(CINCINNATI) — Rafael Nadal won his second straight tournament, this time winning the Western & Southern Open by defeating American John Isner 7-6, 7-6 Sunday.
The win marks the first time Nadal has won back-to-back hard-court titles in his career. Nadal also leapfrogs Andy Murray for the No. 2 ranking in the world as he prepares for the fourth and final Grand Slam tournament of the year, the U.S. Open.
“This title is very important for me, the Open is still a week away,” Nadal said “This is the time to enjoy this one. In a few days I’ll start thinking about the Open.”
Meanwhile, Isner’s fantastic Cincinnnati run comes to an end. The 28-year-old beat (8) Richard Gasquet, (12) Milos Raonic, (1) Novak Djokovic, and (7) Juan Martin del Potro to reach the finals. Isner was looking to become the first unseeded player to win in Cincinnati since the US Open era began in 1968.
“I thought I actually played very well,” Isner said, “But unfortunately for me I ran up one of the greatest tennis players of all time. I beat three top-10 guys here. I couldn’t beat four. He is an incredible champion.”
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