Nalbandian gears up for Madrid with Stockholm win

STOCKHOLM: David Nalbandian will carry the winning habit to this week's Madrid Masters title defense after claiming the Stockholm Open trophy 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 over Robin Soderling on Sunday.

The Argentine No 7, playing for the first time at the event, held off a fightback from Robin Soderling, who had been seeking to give home fans their first local champion since Thomas Johansson in 2004.

Nalbandian has started his autumn indoor season on the best possible note, which he believes bodes well for Madrid after the confidence-boosting victory.