Rafael Nadal wins Qatar Open to take 61st career title

Not so fast: Monfils, rated No. 31 in the world, came back to break the Spaniard's serve in the second game of the second set to go ahead 0-2. Nadal fought it down to the wire but Monfils had his moment of glory and took the set.

But the Frenchman was unable to keep his good game going in the third, when some missed opportunities to break his opponent's serve gave Nadal the set, match, and first-ever Doha title.

The victory allows Nadal, who was cheered on from the grandstand by former Real Madrid player Raul Gonzalez Blanco, to rack up the 61st tournament win of his career and, most importantly, to head for the Australian Open, which begins Jan 13 in Melbourne, with all the optimism in the world.