Winning your first clay court title in Munich is one thing, beating Rafael Nadal on home soil in Madrid in the final of a Masters 1000 event is quite another.
But that’s exactly what Andy Murray achieved Sunday, stunning the “King of Clay” in straight sets, 6-3 6-2 in a one-sided title match.
The Scot’s feat is all the more impressive because he had to battle to three sets against Philipp Kohlschreiber to win his maiden title on the red stuff in a rain-delayed final in Germany Monday and then beat the same opponent in a late night finish at the Caja Magica two days later.
Though clearly tired, Murray had battled to the final showdown with increasing confidence, but in Nadal faced an opponent who held a 6-0 lead over him on clay and 15-5 overall.
But the past counted for little as world number three Murray took advantage of 11 unforced errors in the opening set to back up an early break and take an early lead.
The second set might have seen a comeback from two-time defending Madrid champion Nadal, but the opposite occurred.
Murray took a double break advantage at 3-0 and capitalized on his lead to wrap up a 33rd ATP career title and 10th Masters 1000 crown.
He is also 9-0 on clay this season while Nadal will slip to seventh in the world rankings after the crushing defeat.
Marriage works!
The undefeated run started after his marriage last month to Kim Sears and he celebrated his win by writing “marriage works” on the court side camera.
Later he added: “To play Rafa in Spain is extremely tough, but this is the reason why we play tennis for these matches, it is one of the toughest things in tennis to try and win against Rafa on clay.
“I will keep trying to play well in the next few weeks with Roland Garros just round the corner.”
The odds of Murray winning the French Open for the first time have shortened while Nadal said he was not disheartened as he bids for a 10th victory at the clay court grand slam.
“Evidently today wasn’t the game I wanted or hoped to play. I tried until the end but it is not a day I am going to remember,” said Nadal.
“Even so, this week has been a very important week for me in which I have recovered sensations which I haven’t felt on a tennis court for some time.”
Both will now head to Rome for the Masters 1000 tournament in the Italian capital and where Novak Djokovic is top seed.