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RAFAEL NADAL won a record-equalling 46th clay-court title and his first on any surface since last June by brushing aside Juan Mónaco in the final of the Argentina Open.

Nadal’s 6-4, 6-1 victory in a little under an hour and a half saw him draw level with Mónaco’s fellow Argentinian, Guillermo Vilas, for the number of titles won on clay.

The Spaniard struggled in the second half of least season with a wrist injury which was followed by a bout of appendicitis and he has been working his way back to full fitness ever since. His last triumph came when he won his ninth French Open crown but there was never any danger of the trophy drought stretching any further on Sunday.

After a two-hour rain stoppage delayed the start of the final, Nadal, the top seed, did not face a single break point but claimed the first of five service breaks in the seventh game of the first set. He then won eight of the next 10 games to secure his 65th career title.

Afterwards, Nadal said he wants tournament organisers to maintain the tradition of clay courts on the Tour and said the growing number of events switching to harder surfaces could increase the injury risk to players long after they finish their careers.

He also said it was also important to maintain variety on the Tour to keep players and spectators interested. The Argentine Open, now in its 15th year and a regular stop on the South American clay-court swing, has flirted with the idea of a change to a faster surface to widen its appeal.

“Clay is a traditional surface of our sport, we need to protect that,” Nadal said. “Sport is bigger when you combine new and show events with traditional events. We’re changing more and more tournaments from clay to hard surfaces but the hard surface is more aggressive so there are more and more injuries.

“You can check on the tour (statistics) that many players have injuries so there’s something we’re doing badly, the people who manage (tennis) that isn’t right. In my opinion, it’s important to be healthy not only during your career but also afterwards because you’ve a life outside tennis and after your career.”

“Most of the players on the Tour like sport in general so we want to keep having chances to practice sport and enjoying life. When I finish (my career) I would like to be able to play a game of football with friends but playing so much on hard courts complicates that.”

Nadal, working towards regaining his best form after injury, earlier told a post-match news conference that he was pleased with how his season was progressing. “I’m playing a little better every day,” he said. “I said when I arrived in Buenos Aires I feel closer to level than one month ago.

“Winning titles helps to continue working, the injuries are in the past, I’ve no physical problems. In terms of tennis, in the past I’ve been able to get back to my best level (after injury). As you get older it gets harder but I don’t see why not, I’ve the motivation and passion.” — The Guardian