Top-seeded Rafael Nadal is tied for the most clay-court titles in men's tennis history after securing a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Kei Nishikori in the championship match of the Barcelona Open in his native Spain on Sunday.
Nadal has won 49 titles on the clay surface, matching the mark of Hall of Famer Guillermo Vilas, who finished his career in 1992.
"I think I served well which was very important," Nadal said. "The fact I had a good percentage of first serves allowed me to play better.
"In the second set I let a lot of opportunities go, but I am very happy to have resisted mentally and happy to win."
The victory over Nishikori also marked Nadal's ninth Barcelona title. He has won 69 overall titles during his career.
The second-seeded Nishikori of Japan had a 14-match winning streak halted.
--Angelieque Kerber claimed her second title of the season by rolling to a 6-4, 6-0 victory over fellow German Laura Siegemund at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany.
The second-seeded Kerber was tested at times in the opening set before dominating the second against the qualifier.
"I was trying to stay focused after she really had a great start," Kerber told reporters after the match. "After a few games at the beginning I just started to feel my rhythm and that was I think the key, that I really started to hit the balls again and tried to believe in my game and myself. I was moving very well today and I think that was also very important against her, but I was trying to stay a little bit relaxed in the first set."
--Unseeded Cagla Buyukakcay lost the opening set before recovering and posting a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over fifth-seeded Danka Kovinic at the TEP BNP Paribas Istanbul Cup in Istanbul, Turkey.
Buyukakcay, of Turkey, notched the upset by saving 10 of 12 breaks points during the two-hour, 23-minute match. Kovinic, from Montenegro, was outplayed over the past two sets.
"As I think everyone could see, I was really tired today," Kovinic said. "I really wanted to win this one, but it wasn't enough because my body couldn't follow my mind. In the end, I'm a bit disappointed but I wasn't 100 percent fit today."
