Nadal streaks to hat-trick
Nadal streaks to hat-trick 
From correspondents in Barcelona
Former Australian Captain April 30, 2007
SPAIN’S Rafael Nadal overpowered Guillermo Canas 6-3 6-4 to win the Barcelona Open for a record-equalling third time and extend his winning streak on clay to 72 matches overnight.
Nadal kept the Real club trophy safely in home hands for the fifth successive year, and became only the second man, after Sweden’s Mats Wilander (1982-1984), to win a title hat-trick.
The 20-year-old, who remains a perfect 15-0 in clay finals after collecting his 20th career title, has now defended his first two trophies from last season, with next week’s Rome Masters his next objective.
Canas, 29, back in form after serving out a doping ban, rallied briefly in the last two games of the 1hr 40min final, saving three match points before going down.
He came to the decider with a 21-4 record this season, a title in Brazil and a final a month ago in Miami, but this was the Argentine’s third defeat by Nadal.
His pedigree counted for little as Nadal continued his streak with one break in each set enough to see him through.
“It’s great to win again at home,” he said.
“This streak is not a normal thing, and I know it will end some day. But I’m only thinking about playing each match well.
“I’m very happy after winning here three times at my club.
“Willy (Canas) is one of the best players in the world on clay, and he’s having a fantastic start to the season.” Canas said: “Congratulations to Rafa for this season … and the previous one, and the one before that.”
Victory marked Nadal’s third trophy this year, after Masters sweeps at Indian Wells and Monte Carlo, where he beat Roger Federer for the fifth consecutive time on clay. He moves ahead of Djokovic on 27 wins, the most this season on the ATP.
His last defeat on clay was to Russia’s Igor Andreev in the Valencia quarter-finals two years ago.
Agence France-Presse