Nadal wins Indian Wells ATP Masters title
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
INDIAN WELLS, California, Mar 23 (AFP): World number one Rafael Nadal crushed Scotland's Andy Murray 6-1, 6-2 to win the Indian Wells ATP Masters series title.
Nadal, the reigning Australian Open champion, defied difficult, windy conditions to capture the crown in the California desert for the second time, after triumphing here in 2007.
As in the women's final that preceded it, the men's championship match was played in swirling winds that had both players scrambling.
But Nadal, who started the tournament as the top seed for the first time - after Roger Federer came in as the number one the past five years - kept his focus to get the job done in one hour, 20 minutes.
"I played a really good match with those conditions," Nadal said. "Probably Andy didn't play his best because of the conditions, but I think I played a really complete match, moving very well. I never stop the legs during all the match, and I think that was the key today."
Murray, meanwhile, seemed unable to get to grips with the situation.
Nadal, the reigning Australian Open champion, defied difficult, windy conditions to capture the crown in the California desert for the second time, after triumphing here in 2007.
As in the women's final that preceded it, the men's championship match was played in swirling winds that had both players scrambling.
But Nadal, who started the tournament as the top seed for the first time - after Roger Federer came in as the number one the past five years - kept his focus to get the job done in one hour, 20 minutes.
"I played a really good match with those conditions," Nadal said. "Probably Andy didn't play his best because of the conditions, but I think I played a really complete match, moving very well. I never stop the legs during all the match, and I think that was the key today."
Murray, meanwhile, seemed unable to get to grips with the situation.