Rafael Nadal wins Western & Southern Open final

Rafael Nadal extended his sizzling summer with a first-time title. One set away from a breakthrough of her own, No. 1 Serena Williams wilted.

Nadal took advantage of the few openings he got against John Isner, grinding out a 7-6 (8), 7-6 (3) win in the Western & Southern Open at Mason, Ohio.

The 27-year-old Spaniard won the championship in Montreal a week ago and has back-to-back hard-court championships for the first time in his illustrious career. He’d never even reached the finals in Cincinnati.

When his backhand down the line finished it off, Nadal flopped on his back and screamed.

“It means a lot winning two straight titles on hard (courts),” Nadal said. “It’s just amazing for me. I never did something like this in my career.

“So it was an emotional moment.”

Williams had never won a Cincinnati title, either. She dominated the first set, then fell apart, giving No. 2 Victoria Azarenka a chance to rally for a 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (6) win that ended Williams’ 14-match winning streak.

Williams had never won a Cincinnati title, either. Like Nadal, she was trying for her second championship in two weeks, fresh off her championship in Toronto.

“I just felt really off this whole week, but I was surprised to be in the final and surprised to be doing well,” Williams said. “So I don’t know, there’s a few factors. I think what matters most was just fighting the whole time and survived to the end.”

The week in Cincinnati provided a preview for the U.S. Open, with the men’s bracket more jumbled at the top.

“I would say Rafa is the favorite going to the U.S.,” Isner said. “Clear-cut? I wouldn’t say that. I think he’d probably say the same.

“If you compare maybe him and Serena, I think Serena is probably a more clear-cut favorite on the women’s side than Rafa is on the men’s side, but he certainly is going to be super tough to beat considering he just won back-to-back Masters events on hard courts.”

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Patrick Reed won the Wyndham Championship for his first PGA Tour title, beating Jordan Spieth with a birdie on the second hole of a playoff at Greensboro, N.C.

Reed and Spieth finished regulation at 14-under-par 266. Reed closed with a four-under 66, and Spieth had a 65.

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Caroline Hedwall became the first player in Solheim Cup history to win all five of her matches, holing a four-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole for a 1-up victory at Parker, Colo., that assured the European team of retaining the cup. Moments later, Catriona Matthew finished off a rally to halve her match against Gerina Piller. Europe’s 18-10 victory was the largest in the history of the competition that began in 1990.1/2 points for

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Bart Bryant won the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open at Endicott, N.Y., becoming the 1,000th tournament champion on the Champions Tour. Bryant completed his first victory on the senior tour with a closing 72 and finished at 16-under 200Russ Cochran Corey Pavin .

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Matt Fitzpatrick won the U.S. Amateur, beating Oliver Goss, 4 and 3, in the 36-hole final at Brookline, Mass., to become the first English champion of the tournament since 1911.

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Sam Mikulak ran away with the U.S. men’s gymnastics championship, winning the all-around title with ease over Alex Naddour at Hartford, Conn.

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The unseeded team of Derek Olson and Mike Morrison concluded their improbable run to a title by defeating Mike Placek and Austin Rester, 21-16, 21-18, in the final of the National Volleyball League’s ROX West Coast Championships at Hermosa Beach.

In the women’s division, Iwona Lodzik and Christie Jenkins also went from qualifiers to winners. In the final, they took the title, 21-12, 21-18, over Briana Hinga and Kathrin Winkler.