MADRID (Reuters) - Roger Federer inflicted a rare claycourt defeat on his great rival Rafael Nadal on Sunday when he beat the world number one 6-4 6-4 in the Madrid Open final.
Nadal was bidding to become the first man to win all three claycourt Masters events in one year after his victories in Monte Carlo and Rome but slipped to only his fifth loss on his favoured surface in 155 matches since 2005.
World number two Federer fended off break points in the second and sixth games of the first set and then grabbed a crucial break in game nine before serving out the set to love.
A delicate drop shot that even the athletic Spaniard could not chase down gave him another opportunity in the fifth game of the second set and Nadal netted a backhand to fall 3-2 behind.
Federer slipped to 15-40 when serving for the match but fought back to deuce and powered an ace down the middle on his second championship point before raising his arms in triumph.
Federer and Nadal have played 20 times going back to the Miami Masters in 2004 and the Swiss had won only one match on clay against the French Open champion in 10 previous attempts, the final of the Hamburg Masters in 2007.
They have now faced each other in 16 finals, with Nadal winning 11, including three Roland Garros crowns and titles at Wimbledon and the Australian Open.
(Reporting by Iain Rogers; Editing by Sonia Oxley; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)