Date:19/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/19/stories/2008051954701900.htm

Sport

Nadal dethrones Federer

— Photo: AP

Rafael Nadal, who won the Masters Series tournament.

HAMBURG: Rafael Nadal beat World No. 1 Roger Federer 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-3 to claim his first Hamburg Masters Series title here on Sunday.

In a rematch of the 2007 final, which was won by Federer, triple French Open champion Nadal showed a determined fighting spirit with a superb array of shots to claim victory after 2 hours 52 minutes.

It was the Spaniard’s tenth win over Federer and his eighth on clay. The win also ended the Swiss star’s 41-match unbeaten run on German soil.

Jankovic wins

At Rome, Serbian fourth seed Jelena Jankovic cruised past French teenage qualifier Alize Cornet 6-2 6-2 to retain her Italian Open title on Sunday.

The match got off to a scrappy start and Jankovic found herself 5-1 up largely thanks to a lower error count.

The 18-year-old Cornet pulled a break back with the help of a netcord winner that almost smacked into Jankovic’s head.

The Frenchwoman failed to hold her serve in the following game, however, and conceded the first set by hitting a forehand into the net.

Cornet, who beat Russian sixth seed Anna Chakvetadze and her third-seeded compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova to reach the final, burst into tears at 4-1 down in the second set while the Serbian took a pause to have treatment on her right shoulder.

Cornet held her next service game and then earned three break points on Jankovic’s serve but the champion saved them all and went on to break again to claim her sixth WTA Tour title and her first of 2008. — Agencies