Rafael Nadal proved that he would still be the man to beat when the French Open begins later this month after he humbled Novak Djokovic 6-0 4-6 6-1 in the Italian Open final on Sunday to win a record 34th ATP Masters 1000 title.
The
Spaniard, who had shared the record of 33 Masters titles with the Serbian world
number one, warmed up for the defence of his Roland Garros crown by securing
his ninth Rome title.
Nadal got off to a flying
start by whitewashing Djokovic in the opening set. It was the first time there
has been a 6-0 set during a meeting between the two rivals.
Djokovic took the second by
breaking Nadal's serve for the first time while leading 5-4, but the second
seed responded in style by storming through the decisive set.
When Nadal's previous three
claycourt tournaments had ended in semi-final defeats, it no doubt gave his
rivals hope that his long reign at Roland Garros could be coming to an end this
year.
However, the way he
demolished the world's top ranked player in the opening and third sets on
Sunday would have once again struck fear into any of those challengers who had
been harbouring hopes of lifting the Musketeers' Cup on June 9.
The Spaniard heads into
Roland Garros in top form after seeing his serve broken just twice en route to
claiming his first title of 2019 in his 50th Masters final.
The 32-year-old left Djokovic
in a daze as he stormed through the opening set in 39 blistering minutes.
The top seed fought back in
the second as he saved four break points before winning the decisive game on
Nadal's serve to take the set 6-4.
But the Serb, who had
survived three-set battles against Argentines Juan Martin del Potro and Diego
Schwartzman to reach the final, faded in the final set as he dropped his
opening service game before Nadal surged clear.
A total of 85 young players from across Hoa Binh province recently participated in the provincial Youth Table Tennis Tournament. Organised by the provincial Centre for Youth Activities, the event was part of activities to celebrate the 94th founding anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (March 26, 1931 – 2025) and the 79th anniversary of Vietnam Sports Day (March 27, 1946 – 2025).
Hoa Binh province held a ceremony at Hoa Binh Square on the morning of March 23 to launch the "All People Exercise Following the Example of Great Uncle Ho" movement and the Olympic Run Day for public health 2025.
In 2 days, March 1-2, 2025, at the Provincial Gymnasium, the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism organized the 2025 Provincial Youth Championship of Crossbow Shooting, Tug-of-War, and Stich Pushing. This annual event is hosted by the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.
On February 23, the Hoa Binh Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, in collaboration with the General Department of Sports and Physical Training’s karate division and the provincial Karate federation, organised the 2025 national karate dan promotion exam at the provincial sports arena. The exam covered the first (Shodan), second (Nidan), and third (Sandan) dan levels, with no fourth (Yondan) or fifth (Godan) dan tests this year.
In the early days of the Year of the Snake, Hoa Binh province is filled with a lively and joyful atmosphere as various sports exchange and competition activities take place. These events have become a cherished tradition among local ethnic communities, strengthening their solidarity and fostering their close bonds. They contribute to the robust development of grassroots sports movements, enhancing the cultural and spiritual life of the people.
The Hoa Binh provincial Health sector trade union organized the 1st expanded Hoa Binh provincial Health sector Pickleball tournament in 2025.