Nadal Wins Title, Extends Win Streak at ATP Stuttgart

Rafael Nadal tied world No. 1 Roger Federer Sunday in Stuttgart by winning his eighth title of the year, defeating former French Open champ Gaston Gaudio 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in the best-of-five claycourt final.

With the title Nadal will climb to No. 2 for the first time on the ATP Rankings, and extends his claycourt winning streak to 34 matches.

"My goal now is to improve my game, I want to improve my game on hardcourt," said Nadal, who after the final pulled from the ATP Umag event to rest for the hardcourt Masters Series-Canada event. "My final goal for this year is to finish as the No. 2 in the world."

Gaudio is now 0-3 in Stuttgart finals.

"I think that I played good tennis but I couldn't find a way to beat him at all during the whole match," said a frustrated Gaudio. "It was no doubt that I played against the true champion, he was too good and he took my Mercedes again."

In the doubles final the Argentine team of Jose Acasuso and Sebastian Prieto won their first title as a team, defeating Argentine Mariano Hood and Spaniard Tommy Robredo 7-6(4), 6-3.