World number three Rafael Nadal secured another record-high 26th ATP Masters 1000 title on Sunday after a straight sets victory over American John Isner 7-6, 7-6 at the Cincinnati Masters 2013 final. It was a match that featured no breaks of serve until the tiebreakers in both sets.
With the victory, Nadal will move up to world number two in the world rankings, overtaking Wimbledon champion Andy Murray and is now just a striking distance from overtaking top-ranked Novak Djokovic. With no points to defend by the rest of the season, Nadal has a big chance of securing the year-end world number one title. He currently leads the 2013 Race to London standings.
Meanwhile, Isner returns to the world’s top 20 with his tremendous run to the finals. The American defeated top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals and number seven Juan Martin Del Potro in the semifinals.
