Rafael Nadal won the Rome Masters for the eighth time on Sunday when he defeated defending champion Alexander Zverev 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 after a stunning comeback.
German second seed Zverev was 3-1 up in the decider before two rain stoppages halted his momentum.
Top seed Nadal raced away with the last five games to secure a 32nd Masters title and ensure a return to the world number one spot.
The 31-year-old also showed why he will once again be the runaway favourite when Roland Garros begins in a week where he will be bidding for an 11th French Open title.
Zverev, 21, came to the court riding a 13-match win streak which included last weekend’s trophy in Madrid. However, by the end of Sunday’s rain-hit final, his record against the Spaniard stood at five defeats in five meetings.
Nadal was 3-1 down at the first rain break but cut the gap on the resumption.
After a further half an hour off court during the second interruption, Nadal came back out firing, winning four straight games to wrap up the win on his second match point.
This post was published on May 21, 2018 5:12 pm