Intro:

Rafael Nadal won a second successive Madrid Open title when Kei Nishikori was forced to retire in the third set of Sunday's final with an apparent back injury.

Script:

The final of the Madrid 1000 Masters saw home favourite and newly titled 'Son of The City' Rafael Nadal play Kei Nishikori,

Nadal went into this in search of his fourth Madrid title - the first to ever do so - while Nishikori was looking for his second title on clay this season.

The Japanese man was pushing Nadal around the court early on and took the break to lead at 2-1.

Nishikori would break again and go onto serve out the set 6-2.

The Spaniard had lost in the quarter-finals of his previous two tournaments, in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, and was facing an unlikely third clay court tournament without a title.

However, Rafa was his own dogmatic self and he needed to be as Nishikori was probing on the Nadal serve.

Yet at 4-3 on the Spaniard's serve, the World No 12 seemed to pick up an injury.

Then at 5-4 Nadal, the crucial moment came. Nishikori went long with a backhand and hobbled to his seat, at one set all.

Nishikori couldn't continue and at 3-0 down in the deciding set, he conceded the final. Giving Nadal the title and the confidence ahead of Rome next week.