14-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal has won his fourth grass court title in Stuttgart at the Mercedes Cup. The Spaniard beat #28 Viktor Troicki in their first meeting on grass and Troicki's first grass-court final. 

It's been a difficult season for Rafa as he struggled to regain form, but success this week shows us he's on the right track back to his best. Nadal has struggled over the past few years on the grass due to knee issues, winning his last title 5 years ago at Wimbledon. It's a very important win for Rafa in terms of his confidence and the turn-around of his mediocre season. 

The first set was a showcase of serves. Both players held easily, with exception of a tight first service game for Rafa which he in fact, came through very well. A tiebreak was inevitable, as neither Nadal or Troicki were letting up on serve. Rafa stepped up his level in the tiebreak, as he often does when he's getting into the nitty-gritty of a set. His serve continued to be strong but some beautiful additions in the form of his firing forehand gave him the edge. Sealed with an ace, the now three time champion in Stuttgart grabbed hold of the first set 7-6(3). 

The first set was to ultimately, decide the winner of the match. It'd be a whole lot harder for Troicki to fight back having lost it, which he did. He seemed to be a little more deflated in the second set, partly due to losing the first but also due to the aggressive matador at the other end of the court. Both players held to love to begin, but Nadal quickly gained the break due to some errors from Troicki to go up 3-1. The set progressed quickly, with both getting through their service games swiftly. Serving at 5-3 up, Nadal became a little hesitant, taking the game to deuce. A few of the nerves that had made an appearance throughout the year crept in, but a couple of excellently constructed points later, he was crowned the champion of the Mercedes Cup.

Rafa comes away from the tournament with 250 points and a brand new yet rather bright (Rafa joked it was a little too much for him) Mercedes. More importantly than that, it's a huge boost for his morale, being just two weeks away from Wimbledon. His game on grass has been genuinely fantastic the past week. His serve has been rock solid, his mentality stable and tenacious, and his groundstrokes back to a destructive depth. It's a great sign for Rafa.

Next up Nadal will compete at the Aegon Championships at the Queens Club in London. His competition will be tougher, battling against the likes of Murray and Wawrinka, but if he keep his superb form up next week, he's set to make a perfect start to the grass season.