Rafael Nadal won the Italian Open for the eighth time on Sunday when he defeated defending champion Alexander Zverev 6-1 1-6 6-3 after a stunning comeback. German second seed Zverev was 3-1 up in the decider before two rain stoppages halted his momentum.
Top seed Nadal raced away with the last five games to secure a 32nd Masters title and ensure a return to the world number one spot.
The 31-year-old also showed why he will once again be the runaway favourite when Roland Garros begins in a week, where he’ll be bidding for an 11th French Open title.
Zverev, 21, came to the court riding a 13-match win streak, which included last weekend’s trophy in Madrid.
However, by the end of Sunday’s rain-hit final, his record against the Spaniard stood at five defeats in five meetings.
Nadal was 3-1 down at the first rain break, but cut the gap on the resumption.
After a further half an hour off court during the second interruption, Nadal came back out firing, winning four straight games to wrap up the win on his second match point.
