Nadal roars to victory in title quest

MADRID: Rafael Nadal thrilled a sold-out home crowd with a comeback performance to win his 78th match of the season as he began the chase for a second title at the Madrid Masters on Tuesday.

The top-seeded world No 1 who claimed his only trophy in the capital in 2005, rallied past upcoming Latvian Ernests Gulbis 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 riding a late break in the final set to victory.

Nadal, holder of eight titles this season including Paris, Wimbledon and the Olympics, has stalled in the quarterfinal at the last two Madrid editions.