Title No 80 for Rafael Nadal

Title No 80 for Rafael Nadal
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Highlights

Rafael Nadal held off a late surge from birthday boy Stefanos Tsitsipas to claim the 80th title of his career with victory at the Toronto Masters on Sunday

​Toronto: Rafael Nadal held off a late surge from birthday boy Stefanos Tsitsipas to claim the 80th title of his career with victory at the Toronto Masters on Sunday.

Nadal overcame a second set fightback from Greek youngster Tsitsipas to claim a 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) victory in just under 1hr 45mins. The win gave the 32-year-old Spaniard a record-extending 33rd trophy at the elite Masters level as well as his 80th title.

However, the Spaniard announced his withdrawal from the 2018 Cincinnati Open to have some rest, following his recent victory at the Canadian Open.

"I am very sorry to announce that I won't be playing in Cincinnati this year. No other reason than personally taking care of my body and trying to keep as healthy as I feel now," Nadal posted to his Twitter account.

The 32-year-old, world No. 1, thanked the tournament director Andre Silva for his understanding and apologized to the fans who have always showed him "great support".

Meanwhile, the loss concluded the tennis week of his life for Tsitsipas, who beat four Top 10 opponent in a row to reach the final. "It's been an amazing week for me," he said.

"This trophy means a lot after playing my first Masters 1000 final. "Rafa is amazing, he never cracks. He will always grab you like a bulldog and he will always make you suffer on the court.

"He was (once) normal like all of us, and he managed to become this beast, this monster that he is today. "That's how you feel when you play against him."

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