Roger Federer stormed back to defeat Rafael Nadal 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 on Sunday to capture his fourth Hamburg Masters tennis title and end his rival's record 81-match winning streak on clay courts.

The defeat was Nadal's first on clay since April 2005, a stretch that included 13 titles.

Switzerland's Roger Federer returns a ball during his victory over Spain's Rafael Nadal in the final of the Hamburg Masters.
(Fabian Bimmer/Associated Press)

"If I have to lose against anyone, then he is the man," said Nadal, whose 81 wins were easily the most ever strung together on clay, and also the most in a row by a player on a single surface.

John McEnroe won 75 straight matches on indoor carpet between 1983 and 1985.

"Eighty-one matches is an amazing series," Federer said. "I have a lot of respect for him."

Federer had gone four straight tournaments without a title, his longest drought since becoming the world's top-ranked men's player in February 2004. The 25-year-old Swiss star now has three titles this year, along with the Australian Open and Dubai.

Federer has won four Hamburg titles in his past five visits, and has won 17 straight matches at the event.

Federer's latest victory adds further intrigue to the upcoming French Open, which gets underway May 27 in Paris.

Nadal has won the clay-court event in the past two years, denying Federer of the only Grand Slam title he does not own.

Though Federer was the top-seeded player in Hamburg — and would have been at the French Open regardless of Sunday's outcome — Nadal came into Sunday's showdown holding a decisive 7-3 edge in head-to-head matches, including five straight wins on clay.

"I congratulate Roger and wish him good luck at the French Open," Nadal said.

With files from the Associated Press