INQUIRER Sports

ROME -- World number one Rafael Nadal won his fourth ATP Rome Masters title on Sunday beating reigning champion Novak Djokovic 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 in the final.

Nadal extended his winning run on clay to 30 matches in just over a year while Djokovic's failure to retain his title saw him lose the world number three spot to Briton Andy Murray.

Although the match ended in two sets it was a high quality and close run affair until the very end when Djokovic wilted and Nadal ran away with it.

Djokovic played brilliantly at times but the main difference was in unforced errors where he made 40 to just 22 from Nadal.