Rafael Nadal proved that he would still be the man to beat when the French Open begins later this month after he humbled Novak Djokovic 6-0 4-6 6-1 in the Italian Open final on Sunday to win a record 34th ATP Masters 1000 title.
The
Spaniard, who had shared the record of 33 Masters titles with the Serbian world
number one, warmed up for the defence of his Roland Garros crown by securing
his ninth Rome title.
Nadal got off to a flying
start by whitewashing Djokovic in the opening set. It was the first time there
has been a 6-0 set during a meeting between the two rivals.
Djokovic took the second by
breaking Nadal's serve for the first time while leading 5-4, but the second
seed responded in style by storming through the decisive set.
When Nadal's previous three
claycourt tournaments had ended in semi-final defeats, it no doubt gave his
rivals hope that his long reign at Roland Garros could be coming to an end this
year.
However, the way he
demolished the world's top ranked player in the opening and third sets on
Sunday would have once again struck fear into any of those challengers who had
been harbouring hopes of lifting the Musketeers' Cup on June 9.
The Spaniard heads into
Roland Garros in top form after seeing his serve broken just twice en route to
claiming his first title of 2019 in his 50th Masters final.
The 32-year-old left Djokovic
in a daze as he stormed through the opening set in 39 blistering minutes.
The top seed fought back in
the second as he saved four break points before winning the decisive game on
Nadal's serve to take the set 6-4.
But the Serb, who had
survived three-set battles against Argentines Juan Martin del Potro and Diego
Schwartzman to reach the final, faded in the final set as he dropped his
opening service game before Nadal surged clear.
With continuous improvements in both quantity and quality, Luong Son Karate Club is a bright spot in building and spreading the Karate training movement among young people and students in Luong Son district of Hoa Binh province.
The 32nd Traditional Marathon Tournament of Hoa Binh Newspaper Cup in 2024 has ended, but there are still good memories and impressions. Through 32 successfully organized seasons, the tradition, brand, quality, and appeal of the tournament have been affirmed.
Seventy anglers from Hoa Binh and other cities and provinces across the nation participated in a sport fishing tournament in Hoa Binh city on November 20. The event was held by the provincial People’s Committee in collaboration with the Vietnam Sport Fishing Association.
Mountain running is a sport that offers numerous health benefits and is increasingly attracting participants, especially among the youth. In recent years, the running community in Da Bac district has been growing significantly.
The 32nd Traditional Marathon Tournament of Hoa Binh Newspaper Cup in 2024 was a great success. For the athletes, the persistent, "speedy” running amid in cheering and the final smile of victory... are unforgettable memories.
As a rule, every year, Lac Son district organizes a traditional marathon tournament that gathers a large number of athletes. The XXXII District’s Traditional Marathon Tournament in 2024 has just kicked off, attracting nearly 130 athletes from the communes, the town, the other agencies, units and schools, showing the development and spread of the movement.