Rafa claims another clay pigeon

Nadal outlasts Thiem at Madrid Open to sew up third straight championship

MADRID - Rafael Nadal on Sunday continued his impressive form heading into the French Open, winning his third straight title on clay with a 7-6 (8), 6-4 victory over Dominic Thiem in the Madrid Open final.

Nadal withstood a tough challenge from the ninth-ranked Thiem, converting on his fourth match point to earn his 15th straight victory and tie Novak Djokovic's record of 30 career titles in Masters 1000 events.