Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal win Rogers Cup tennis titles

Serena Williams won the Rogers Cup women’s title for the third time and Rafael Nadal matched that feat while playing spoiler in the men’s tournament to capture his eighth title of the year.

Williams routed unseeded Romanian Sorana Cirstea, 6-2, 6-0, in Toronto on Sunday.

Nadal beat Milos Raonic, 6-2, 6-2, in Montreal to end the bid of Raonic becoming the first Canadian winner in the event in 55 years.

The top-ranked woman captured her eighth WTA title of the year and 54th of her career. All three of her Rogers Cup crowns have come in Toronto, the others in 2001 and 2011. Williams has lost only one match since March, a stunning early exit at Wimbledon.

She did not drop a set this week. The only time she was tested was in her semifinal against third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska.

Cirstea was appearing in her third WTA final and looking to build on her only title — in 2008 at Tashkent. But despite this loss, the tournament proved a breakthrough. She ousted two former No. 1 players in Jelena Jankovic and Caroline Wozniacki. She also defeated defending champion Petra Kvitova in the quarterfinals and fourth-seeded Li Na in the semis.

Cirstea was unsteady from the opening game, double-faulting the first point and again at 30-40 to give Williams an early break. Williams broke again for 3-0 after Cirstea sent a backhand wide. That prompted a visit from her Australian coach, Darren Cahill.

The pep talk appeared to work momentarily. Cirstea won four straight points to break back and held serve at 3-2. But Williams quickly removed any chance of an upset, winning two straight games and acing a set point winner to make it 6-2.

With shouts of “Sorana” and “Serena” volleying around the stadium, splashes of Romania’s blue, yellow and red could be seen dotting the Rexall Centre stands on a warm, sunny afternoon.

But Cirstea’s contingent had even less to cheer for in the second set. Williams used her trademark power strokes to keep Cirstea running and ripped an ace to hold serve at 2-0.

Cirstea, her head hanging low, again called for Cahill for motivation. But it didn’t do much good. Williams eased through the final four games and wrapped up the match in just more than hour.

Robert Bedard was the last Canadian to win what was then called the Canadian Open in 1955. He was in attendance to see Nadal claim his third Rogers Cup title. The Spanish star also won in 2005 and 2008.

Raonic was the first Canadian since the now 81-year-old Bedard even to reach the final.

Nadal, playing his first tournament since a first-round loss at Wimbledon in June, posted his eighth tournament win this year and the 58th of his career.

By reaching the final, the 22-year-old Raonic will move up to 10th in world rankings, a record for a Canadian. He will be the youngest player in the top 10. Nadal will move from fourth to third.

ALSO:

PGA Championship live updates: Final round at Oak Hill

Jeff Fisher has lost respect for commentator Bernie Kosar

Usain Bolt wins 100 world championship with little celebration