Nadal takes Federer on clay

Madrid - Rafa Nadal reasserted his dominance over Roger Federer on clay and laid down a marker for the French Open when he overwhelmed his arch rival 6-4 7-6 in the final of the Madrid Open on Sunday.

Federer beat Nadal in last year's final before going on to claim the French Open and Wimbledon crowns and snatching back the world number one ranking from the Spaniard.

The eagerly-anticipated match in a packed and rowdy Magic Box arena graced by Spanish Queen Sofia was their first meeting since the 2009 title match and sets Nadal up for a run at regaining his Roland Garros crown when the grand slam starts next Sunday.

Nadal brought the partisan crowd to their feet when he took the first set and the noise reached ear-splitting levels as their hero fought back from 4-2 down to take the tiebreak before throwing himself face down on the clay.