Nineteen-year-old Spanish clay court king, Rafael Nadal, belied his angelic looks by ruthlessly destroying Gaston Gaudio 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in the final of Stuttgart’s prestigious Mercedes Cup.
The victory, Nadal’s eighth tournament win on clay this season, sees the teenager move into second place in the world and champions race rankings, overtaking Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick now in third and fourth. It was also Nadal’s 34th successive unbeaten game on the surface, easily overtaking Bjorn Bjorg’s mark of 31, leaving him only six short of Thomas Muster’s legendary record of 40 victories.
