OMNISPORT
Rafael Nadal's fine return from injury continued when he thrashed David Ferrer to clinch the Abierto Mexicano Telcel title on Saturday. The 11-time grand slam champion brushed past his Spanish countryman with a 6-0 6-2 win in just 65 minutes in Acapulco, Mexico, in the final of the ATP 500 event on clay.
Since making his comeback from a knee injury in February, 2005 champion Nadal has won two titles and finished runner-up in his first tournament back in Chile. Nadal's victory over Ferrer was his 17th in 21 meetings between the pair, while it was also his 52nd ATP World Tour title.
World number four Ferrer has often said the big four of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Nadal are out of reach for him. While Nadal has slipped to fifth in the rankings after his seven-month absence from the tour, he was far too good for Ferrer from the outset. He broke three times in the first set and dropped just six points when serving as he raced to an early lead. A double bagel looked on the cards when Nadal broke early in the second set before Ferrer finally got on the board in the third game.
Ferrer created one break point in the second game but was unable to convert, winning just six points against the Nadal serve. It ended the 30-year-old's remarkable run at the tournament, where he had won 19 straight matches and three straight titles.