New Delhi: World No. 2 Rafael Nadal won his third consecutive title at Rome defeating Fernando Gonzalez in straight sets on Sunday night.
Nadal won 6-2, 6-2 over sixth seed Gonzalez at the Rome Masters to show that his preparation for the French Open, which begins from May 27, is on the right track.
It was a smooth victory over the Chilean, who struggled to get back into the match after making an error-riddled start.
The win gave Nadal his 13th consecutive claycourt title and extended his winning streak to 77 matches.
"I think I'm in the best moment of my career, playing better than ever, so I'm very happy for that," Nadal said.
The win at Rome Masters was Nadal's fourth ATP title of the year. He also won in Indian Wells, California; Monte Carlo, Monaco; and Barcelona, Spain and has a 21-3 career record in finals.
However, Nadal has some stomach problem before the final and he also went to the hospital after spending nearly four hours on the court against Nikolay Davydenko in the semi-finals.
Two other players - Thomas Muster and Jaroslav Drobny - also won in Rome three times, but not in succession.
The quarter-finals in Valencia, Spain, in April 2005 was the last time Nadal lost on clay against Igor Andreev.
By reaching the final, the 20-year-old Spaniard also broke John McEnroe's record for most victories on one surface.
"This guy is unbelievable on this surface," McEnroe said shortly before the final. "He's like the (Bjorn) Borg of this era."
Going into the final, the No. 6-ranked Gonzalez held a 3-1 lifetime edge over Nadal, including a win in the Australian Open quarter-finals in January.
But Nadal took control with a break in the opening game and never relinquished his grip. Down one set and two breaks, Gonzalez managed to get one break back, but Nadal kept the lead and finished off his opponent with a forehand winner.
(With inputs from AP)
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