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Wow! After playing pretty badly (mostly due to his horrendous mid 30s service percentage) and losing the first set easily, World #1 Roger Federer defeated World #2 Rafael Nadal by coming back from a set down and facing two break points at 2-6, 1-1, 15-40 to win the second set 6-2 and roll through the deciding 3rd set 6-0, only the second time he has "bageled" the Spaniard. The convincing win over his arch rival at the German Open (ATP Masters Series Hamburg) on Sunday was his 37th consecutive win and 8th consecutive title on German soil and ended Nadal's astounding record-breaking streak of 81 consecutive wins on clay, the longest existing streak on any surface. Federer ended with 31 errors and 31 winners, to just 20 winners and 34 errors for Nadal. Nadal was attempting to become the first player to win all 4 great clay tournaments in one season, but instead Federer picked up his 4th Hamburg Masters Series title, his 13th Masters Shield over all, 4 behind all-time leader Andre Agassi.
By beating the "King of Clay," the "King of Grass" gives himself a mental boost before the 2nd Grand Slam of the year, the only title he hasn't won, where Nadal beat him pretty easily in 4 sets last year and is the 2-time defending champion: Roland Garros, which starts Sunday May 27th.
