World No.1 Rafael Nadal hammered Spanish compatriot David Ferrer 6-2, 6-4 on Sunday to win the Barcelona Open for the sixth time in seven editions.
The runaway victory in one hour, 49 minutes puts Nadal into sole third place on the all-time claycourt trophy list with 31 career titles on the surface. Only Guillermo Vilas, with 45, and Thomas Muster, who won 40, are above him.
Nadal's comprehensive victory over the opponent he beat a week ago for a record seventh Monte Carlo trophy was his 13th in 17 matches played against Ferrer, his good friend and training partner.
Unbelievable
“It's unbelievable,” said Nadal, who has only lost two claycourt finals, both to Roger Federer.
“I'm very happy to come back and win here after not playing last year (knee injury). It was a difficult decision, it's a always a special dream to play in this tournament.”
Spain continued to dominate the Barcelona event, with at least one Spaniard playing the final for the ninth straight year.
The last non-Spaniard to win was Argentina's Gaston Gaudio in 2002.
Meanwhile in Stuttgart, Julia Goerges stunned world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki 7-6(3), 6-3 to win the Stuttgart WTA claycourt title to become the first German champion here in 17 years.
The 22-year-old Goerges collected her second career title to add to her 2010 Bad Gastein trophy, 17 years after Anke Huber won the second of her Stuttgart crowns in 1994.
Goerges, who sent down 38 winners to Wozniacki's nine, will now break into the top 30 for the first time in her career.
It was Wozniacki's second final defeat in 2011 after losing to Russia's Vera Zvonareva in Doha in February.
The results (final):
At Barcelona (Barcelona Open): Rafael Nadal bt David Ferrer 6-2, 6-4.
At Stuttgart (Porsche Grand Prix): Julia Goerges bt Caroline Wozniacki 7-6(3), 6-3.
