MADRID, MAY 15 (AFP): Rafael Nadal's climb one place to fourth in the world on the strength of his Madrid Masters win was confirmed in the latest ATP rankings released on Monday. The Spaniard continued his flawless record on clay this season by beating Dominic Thiem to win the Madrid tournament for a fifth time 7-6 (10/8), 6-4 on Sunday. The Spaniard is now 15-0 on his favoured surface this year having also picked up his 10th titles in Monte Carlo and Barcelona in recent weeks. Thiem's reward for making the final was a two-place move to seventh. Nadal was last ranked fourth in October last year. The highest mover of the week was Borna Coric, who jumped 18 places to 41st after his quarter-final appearance in the Spanish capital. Rafael Nadal consolidated his flying start to the clay-court season by taking a record-extending fifth Madrid Open title on Sunday, battling past a determined Dominic Thiem to win 7-6(10-8) 6-4. The Spaniard, who snapped a seven-match losing streak against Novak Djokovic to win their semi-final on Saturday, was given a much sterner test by Thiem than in last month's final of the Barcelona Open. "The truth is I was up against an opponent who in the next five to 10 years will be fighting for the most important titles so I'm very happy to have won; it was a very exciting game," Nadal told Television Espanola.
