I’M THE CHAMPION …

Spain’s Rafael Nadal celebrates after winning the final of the Barcelona Open on Sunday in Barcelona.

Nadal defeated Argentinian Guillermo Canas 6-3, 6-4. Nadal wins Barcelona title * Simon Cambers BARCELONA – Despite extending his record run of successive claycourt victories to 72 and winning a third straight Barcelona Open title, Rafael Nadal still sees room for improvement.”As always, my goal is just to get better, better and better,” the world number two said before leaving Barcelona.”It is great to win another tournament, especially at home in Spain but there is still a long way to go.”Nadal’s 6-3 6-4 win over Argentine Guillermo Canas in Sunday’s final gave him his 20th career title and his 15th on clay.He became the only man apart from Swede Mats Wilander to win the title three years in a row.The Spaniard has won his last 12 claycourt events and his unbeaten run on the surface stretches back to April 2005, when he lost to Russian Igor Andreev in Valencia.Nadal’s next claycourt assignment will be in Rome next week, when he defends his Masters Series title.He is due to play in the Masters Series event the following week in Hamburg, before arriving in Paris to bid for a third consecutive French Open crown.Before then, Nadal will take part in a special match with world number one Roger Federer on the Spaniard’s home island of Mallorca.The two square up today in what is being called the Battle of the Surfaces on a court with grass on one side and clay on the other, over three sets.”It will be fun and interesting,” Nadal said.Nampa-ReutersNadal wins Barcelona title * Simon Cambers BARCELONA – Despite extending his record run of successive claycourt victories to 72 and winning a third straight Barcelona Open title, Rafael Nadal still sees room for improvement.”As always, my goal is just to get better, better and better,” the world number two said before leaving Barcelona.”It is great to win another tournament, especially at home in Spain but there is still a long way to go.”Nadal’s 6-3 6-4 win over Argentine Guillermo Canas in Sunday’s final gave him his 20th career title and his 15th on clay.He became the only man apart from Swede Mats Wilander to win the title three years in a row.The Spaniard has won his last 12 claycourt events and his unbeaten run on the surface stretches back to April 2005, when he lost to Russian Igor Andreev in Valencia.Nadal’s next claycourt assignment will be in Rome next week, when he defends his Masters Series title.He is due to play in the Masters Series event the following week in Hamburg, before arriving in Paris to bid for a third consecutive French Open crown.Before then, Nadal will take part in a special match with world number one Roger Federer on the Spaniard’s home island of Mallorca.The two square up today in what is being called the Battle of the Surfaces on a court with grass on one side and clay on the other, over three sets.”It will be fun and interesting,” Nadal said.Nampa-Reuters