Rafael Nadal needed a rally after losing his only set so far of the clay season, overcoming David Ferrer 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 to lift a fourth straight Barcelona Open title on Sunday.

The tight victory in two hours, 14 minutes sends Spain's king of clay halfway down the road to duplicating a four-event winning streak from a year ago on his favourite surface.

"The first set I played almost perfect, but he was very strong in the second set," said Nadal after claiming a 25th ATP title. "I'm pleased to have won in Barcelona again."

Seven days after defeating Roger Federer to win Monte Carlo for a record-equalling fourth straight year, the three-time Roland Garros champion followed up with a popular home triumph in the Catalan capital.

Nadal improved his record at the Real club to 21-1, his lone loss coming in 2003. The victory came in his third all-Spanish final at the event, after beating Juan Carlos Ferrero and Tommy Robredo in a pair of previous editions.

The all-but-unstoppable Spaniard will head immediately into a third straight week of high-stakes duelling with a Rome title defence.

Nadal widened his margin atop the ATP with a leading 32 match victories and two titles. He has won 103 of 104 clay matches to spring 2005.

His match with dogged retriever Ferrer — which could have easily turned into a baseline slug-fest — was dominated early by the top seed, with Nadal breaking three times in a 31-minute first set.

But Ferrer refused to roll over as he broke in the first game of the second to make a match of it.

Nadal went into fight-back mode, salvaging four break points in a torrid seventh game, and broke to level at four games apiece.

That only inspired Ferrer, winner of the Valencia title last month, with the second seed re-breaking and serving out the set to bring on a deciding third.

Nadal put things right with an early break to sweep through with ease in the deciding set.

The Spanish powerhouse improved to 6-3 over his compatriot, whom he beat last week in Monte Carlo.

AFP