Rafael Nadal won his 67th career title with a 7-5, 7-5 victory against the dangerous Italian Fabio Fognini in the final of the Hamburg Open on Sunday.
Nadal, a 14-time grand slam champion, has endured an indifferent season, winning just two titles in Stuttgart and Buenos Aires prior to Sunday, and had dropped to No10 in the world rankings.
The world No32 Fognini, who won the Hamburg title in 2013, was aiming for an almost unthinkable third clay court victory against Nadal this season following successes in Rio de Janeiro and Barcelona.
Nadal, whose previous air of invincibility on clay has begun to evaporate, hit just six winners and 15 unforced errors in an evenly contested opening set.