Teenage sensation Rafael Nadal claimed his first
hardcourt title on Sunday with victory over Andre Agassi in the final of the
Rogers Cup.
The top-seeded Spaniard beat the American veteran, who was seeded fourth, 6-3
4-6 6-2 to add to his ever-growing collection of silverware.
The 19-year-old Nadal, who was meeting the 35-year-old Agassi for the first
time, secured his ninth title of the year, matching the record for tournament
victories in a season set by Mats Wilander in 1983. Nadal's first eight titles
of the year came on clay, including the French Open.
Nadal, who extended his winning streak to 16 matches, broke Agassi in the
third and fifth games of the decisive set to improve his ATP record to 65 wins
from 73 matches this year.
Agassi, who had to win twice on Saturday to reach the final, was aiming for
his fourth Rogers Cup title.
The American, who had won his previous 10 matches, had claimed his 60th career
title at Los Angeles two weeks ago.