Spanish No. 1 Rafael Nadal has won in Brazil in amazing style, which reminds of the very start of the most dominant clay-court career tennis has ever witnessed.
Eight years later, Nadal embarks upon his second title in Sao Paulo will mark the restart.
Nadal crushed David Nalbandian 6-2, 6-3 in the final of the Brazil Open on Sunday, his first trophy since getting back to the court from a seven-month layoff to treat his left knee. Amidst huge uproar from the tennis fans, the Spaniard showed few traces of injury though.
Though this small indoor clay-court tournament is no comparison to those he has grown used to winning, Nadal thrust his arms into the air and pumped his fist after Nalbandian sent a shot long to tender the Spanish ace his 51st singles title.
His second also came in this circuit in 2005, when he was still apparently unknown, and he went on to win the first of his seven French Open titles months later.
"Brazil will always be in my heart," Nadal said. "Big things started to happen after I won here in 2005 and hopefully this is the start of something good again."
Nadal required the lengthy layoff to ensure a partially torn and inflamed tendon in his knee, and his return was then further altered by an illness. He came back to play in Chile last week, losing in the final of both the singles and doubles tournaments.
So displaying a trophy again felt extra good this time.
"I'll definitely enjoy this one because of all the problems that I've gone through with the knee," Nadal said. "When I won for the first time here I was just starting and hopefully this will mark a new beginning."
It was Nadal's first title after he won the French Open for the seventh time last June. Thirty-seven of his titles have been on clay.
Nadal could not easily find a rhythm in the beginning but was still able to break Nalbandian's serve twice to take the first set, then rallied from 3-0 down in the second to win six straight games and close out and match in 1 hour, 18 minutes.
Needing his 12th title, the 93rd-ranked Nalbandian was playing in a final for the first time since he was disqualified for footing an ad board and causing injury a line judge at Queen's Club last June. The former world No. 3 hasn't won a title since 2010 in Washington.
Nadal said his knee felt better on Sunday and it played a crucial role in winning the title.
"When the knee is feeling better like today I feel like that I can do more of the things that I used to do my entire life," he said. "If the pain is bearable like it was today, then it's fine."
He had expressed soreness in his knee after Friday's semifinal, which marked his second three-set match at the tournament.
Nadal seemed far from his best on Sunday, though, and did not feel to be moving well. The knee apparently bothered him at times and he let through several balls unchallenged throughout the match.
