Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Rafael Nadal won the Rome Masters 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 recovered from an early break in the third set after a 50-minute rain delay, racing away with the last five games to secure a 32nd Masters title and ensure a return to the world number one spot, reclaiming it from Roger Federer on Monday.

Federer is sitting out the clay season to prepare for Wimbledon.

Nadal and Zverev had each won two titles on clay this season entering the final, with Nadal lifting trophies in Monte Carlo and Barcelona and Zverev taking Munich and Madrid.

Nadal improved to 5-0 in his career against Zverev and gained an extra measure of confidence entering the French Open, which starts next Sunday.

Earlier, Elina Svitolina defended the women’s title, facing little resistance from top-ranked Simona Halep in a 6-0, 6-4 win.

*AFP