Ahead of the start of the French Open on May 26, the world number five is now one of the favourites for the tournament.

The Austrian thrashed Medvedev 6-4, 6-0 the day after beating Nadal for the fourth time in his career on clay.

“Paris is still pretty far away, I’m happy with my clay form right now, this is actually my biggest clay title — this one here,” said Thiem, who lost to Nadal in last year’s French Open final.

“It makes me happy to have won it, Paris is not really in my head.”

Nadal has now suffered surprise semi-final exits in his attempts to win record-extending 12th titles in both Monte Carlo and Barcelona this month, while Thiem goes from strength to strength having also beaten Roger Federer to claim his maiden Masters title at Indian Wells in March.

But Thiem expects 17-time Grand Slam champion Nadal to find his best in time for the start of the French Open, when the Spaniard will also be bidding for a 12th trophy.

“I’ve not changed my opinion that Rafa is always the biggest favourite for any clay title,” Thiem said.

“But I love Roland Garros, I’ve played well there for the past three years.

“I hope this can continue. But I’m thinking next of Madrid.”

– Thiem eyeing Madrid title –

Thiem fought back on Sunday after losing his opening service game and overwhelmed Medvedev in a 73-minute rout, and will now turn his attentions to Madrid next weekend, where he has lost in the last two finals.

“I go to Madrid playing well and in a good mood,” he added. “But the special thing about tennis is that I will start from zero there. All the guys will be strong.

“I need to train well and get used to the conditions. In the matches I must be there from the first point, it can go very quickly in tennis.”

Thiem is the first Austrian to take the Barcelona title since Thomas Muster in 1996.

“It’s such an honour to win here, only the biggest champions have done it.

“I’m so happy and proud to join Muster here, now my name is on the trophy.”

Thiem eased to his 13th ATP title, and ninth on clay.

He hoisted the weighty 13-kilogram golden trophy in triumph in front of a full stadium on a cloudy, chilly day at a venue named after Nadal.

Russian Medvedev needed treatment on his shoulder late in the first set, but insisted the injury was not the main reason for his defeat.

“After treatment, the pain was gone,” Medvedev said. “What made the difference was that Dominic changed his style and I could not adapt.

“After that, there was no way back.”

Thiem fulfilled the club tradition of the winner leaping fully clothed into the swimming pool on the grounds.

“It was a joy to jump in with the ballkids,” he said. “It’s really a great tradition. It’s always been my dream to do it.”

Arsenal’s 3-0 defeat to Leicester means Chelsea now hold a two-point lead over the Gunners in the chase for Champions League football next season with United a further point back in sixth with just two games remaining.

In contrast to the faltering form of all four contenders for third and fourth, as Tottenham also lost at home to West Ham on Saturday, the top two continue to cede no ground in the title race.

City extended their winning run to 12 straight Premier League games and now just need to win their final two at home to Leicester and away to Brighton to retain their title and stretch Liverpool’s long wait to win the league to at least 30 years.

Pep Guardiola cut a frustrated figure as City laboured for the first 45 minutes at Turf Moor.

However, they clicked into gear after the break and wave upon wave of attack on the Burnley goal was finally rewarded after the hour mark when Sergio Aguero’s shot squeezed just 29 millimetres over the line before Matt Lowton hacked the ball clear.

The goal was Aguero’s 20th in the Premier League this season.

“We could have won by more distance, I’m so happy for the victory and now we have a week to prepare and hopefully we arrive at Brighton with the chance to be champions,” said Guardiola.

– Advantage Chelsea –

United halted a run of seven defeats in nine games, but failed to capitalise on Tottenham and Arsenal’s defeats as De Gea, so often his side’s saviour in recent seasons, was at fault again to hand Chelsea a share of the points at Old Trafford.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had made five changes to his starting line-up and was rewarded with a bright start as United scored for the first time from open play in just short of nine hours of football through Juan Mata.

However, two minutes before the break De Gea spilled Antonio Rudiger’s speculative long-range effort and Marcos Alonso levelled on the rebound.

De Gea was also at fault for goals in United’s previous three games in defeat to Barcelona, Everton and City.

“David is unquestionable for me,” said Mata of his compatriot. “His level has been fantastic for this club. The amount of points he has saved us is incredible.

“We all have good and bad moments in our careers but the important thing is how we react.”

– Arsenal collapse –

Arsenal’s top four challenge has collapsed over the past week, conceding three times in three straight league defeats for the first time since 1967.

The Gunners were dominated from start to finish by Brendan Rodgers’s Leicester, although the visitors were not helped by a 36th-minute red card for Ainsley Maitland-Niles at the King Power.

Leicester were unlucky not to lead long before then, but made the extra man advantage count as Youri Tielemans opened the scoring and Jamie Vardy struck twice late on.

“The second yellow card gave us a lot of problems to control our gameplan and be efficient,” said Arsenal boss Unai Emery.

“We continued with one player less but knowing it was going to be difficult. That has conditioned the result a lot.”

Victory keeps the Foxes in the hunt for seventh, which could reap a place in the Europa League next season if City win the FA Cup.

The 33-year-old softly-spoken Thai was neck-and-neck with young gun Settee at 15 under-par 269 after the final regulation hole at the par-71 Mae Jo Golf Resort course. But a two-foot birdie on the extra hole propelled him to his first victory since the Thai PGA Tour event in Nakhon Nayok in June 2017.

“I’m so overwhelmed to finally win. I wasn’t playing well at the beginning and felt under pressure,” said Kwanchai after his second win on the All Thailand Golf Tour. His previous ATGT win was at the 2013 Singha Pattaya Open.

“I was so excited before the play-off. I thought my chances were 50-50 because Settee was hitting so well. But my experience really helped me to win the playoff,” added Kwanchai who returned home Bt300,000 richer.

“This win really gave me my confidence back as I was struggling with my driver over the past few years. I hope to carry this momentum into the rest of the season,” said Kwanchai who will play mainly on the ATGT, Asian Tour and Thai PGA |Tour.

Settee, 24 from Chon Buri, sank a finishing birdie to catch Kwanchai at 15 under. But his bid to grab a first professional win fell short when his approach shot landed a distance from the flag while Kwanchai’s shot stopped just two feet from the hole.

“I was giving my all out there,” said Settee, in search of a first |win after several runners-up positions.

“I made a wrong decision in the playoff. But at least I created several opportunities for myself today,” said Settee who earned Bt185,000 for second.

“I was a bit disappointed not be able to win again. But to win a tournament, everything must come together – luck and ability. If I keep working hard, my day will come,” he added.

On 13-under-par 271 in lone third was Raththee Sirithanakunsak. World No 74 Jazz Janewattananond, Namchok Tantipokhakul and Suradit Yongcharoenchai followed three shots behind, each on 274.

The four-time champion on Friday lost a unanimous decision to the Mexican challenger, with scores of 116-112 and 115-113 twice handing him his first defeat since May 2014. But the 32-year-old already has sights firmly set on their third fight, which was confirmed by the promoter after the bout.

“I need to make amends,” said Srisaket who beat Estrada by a majority decision in their previous encounter in February last year. Srisaket won the world title from Roman Gonzalez at Madison Square Garden in March 2017.

“I’m disappointed but I accept that he was really well prepared. He has improved and is now faster,” admitted Srisaket, who is due back in Bangkok this afternoon.

The Thai fighter will have to do his homework if he wishes to reclaim the world title. Srisaket lacked both pace and speed on Friday’s showdown, when his strategy of switching from southpaw failed to unsettle Estrada.

“ I have no fear against talented boxers. I’m more concerned with hard-working ones. Estrada is really fit physically. I have to work a lot harder if we face off again for the third time,” said Srisaket.

The date for their third bout has yet to be announced. Srisaket is in no hurry though, as his next priority is to take his wife Pornpimol on honeymoon after they were married last November.

“I have to keep the promise to my wife. After that I will return to the camp for training right away. I’m determined to bring the belt back to Thailand,” he added.

Normally a southpaw, Srisaket was told by his camp to try switching stances against Estrada, a move that backfired. By the time he switched back to his normal stance, it was too late as the Mexican was firmly in control of the fight.

The closest race for an English top-flight crown in recent memory is heading into its closing stages with City or Liverpool doomed to be disappointed at its outcome.

But Guardiola firmly believes his City team is playing better now than it did 12 months ago, when it was on the brink of compiling a record 100 Premier League points.

And given the impressive nature of their title defence, Guardiola has already told his players that the job “is done”, even though the outcome of their bid to win the league and FA Cup, in addition to the League Cup they lifted in February, hangs in the balance.

– ‘Why should I judge?’ –

Victory at Burnley on Sunday would see City restore their one-point lead over Liverpool at the top of the table with two games to play.

“Why should I judge what we have done for the results if at the last moment, for example, what happened in the Champions League (happens)?,” said Guardiola ahead of his team’s trip to Turf Moor as he recalled their dramatic late reversal of fortune in a European quarter-final defeat by Tottenham.

“We will be judged if we lift the title or not?,” the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss added. “The players and I have spoken many times – for you, the job is done.

“In terms of me, our fans and our people, it is done. You had success this season. Hats off!

“But of course we want to win it (the league). We are not going to say ‘it’s enough, the manager told us how good we have done and we’re not going to win it’.

“No, no, no. We want to win it for sure. We want to win the Premier League,” the Catalan manager insisted. “Maybe more than last season, to do something unique for this club. We want to do it.

“But I will not judge them. I will not tell them because of many circumstances — because maybe Burnley is better than us in that game.  Maybe we play horrible in one of these three games. It’s happened. You have to try to avoid it, but it can happen.”

– ‘City will improve’ –

City have suffered a drop-off in form from very few players this season, with the injury-plagued Kevin De Bruyne arguably the only senior star who has not hit the heights he achieved 12 months ago.

By contrast, defender Aymeric Laporte, striker Raheem Sterling and playmaker Bernardo Silva have all taken their games on to an even higher level.

But Guardiola said City still had collective room for improvement — which he wanted to oversee.

“If I felt we could not improve it would make no sense to continue together here,” he said.

“Still there are things we can do quicker, understand what we have to do in a better way. We are going to improve individually and collectively. So I don’t have doubts about that.”

He added: “The moment you are tired of them, they are tired of you, that is not going to leave space to move forward and then the manager has to go — ‘Thank you guys!’ — and another one comes.”

Guardiola’s current title contest with Liverpool also had the City manager drawing comparisons with the only other campaign in which he has won a championship in similarly tight circumstances — 2010 when his Barcelona finished with 99 points and Real Madrid 96.

“It is quite similar because we went out in the semi-finals of the Champions League to Inter Milan from (Jose) Mourinho and after we had Villarreal away, a tough game, and we stand up and we won it,” Guardiola recalled.

“When you have 96, 98 points, it is a lot of points, but there can just be one winner.”

The 21-year-old Japanese was scheduled to play a semi-final tie against Estonian eighth seed Anett Kontaveit on Saturday evening, but announced in the afternoon that she would be unable to play.

“I don’t expect that I will be able to serve,” she said.

“It’s an ab strain, something that I’ve had before. Thankfully, because I’ve had it so many times I am able to tell what it is and I know what to do.”

On Friday Bolton announced that they had called off this weekend’s match against Brentford after frustrated players, furious at repeated problems with unpaid salaries, announced they were taking strike action.

“The club has been instructed to now make the appropriate arrangements for the rearrangement of Saturday’s game at the earliest opportunity,” an EFL statement said.

“In issuing this directive, the board is aware that a number of the clubs’ professional players may not make themselves available but is satisfied that a team can be selected from the players they have registered and available to them.”

The EFL added that Bolton had only avoided being ordered to play the Brentford game as scheduled because of potential player welfare problems caused by their Under-18s having a match on Thursday.

The cash-strapped club, second-bottom in the Championship and relegated to the third tier last week, are in the process of completing a takeover.

They have two games remaining this season, with their last match against Nottingham Forest next weekend.

Meanwhile on Saturday Bolton cast doubt on a proposed takeover by former Watford owner Laurence Bassini, accusing him of failing to honour a pledge that players and staff would be paid during the takeover process.

“During the past 10 days numerous further undertakings have been given by Mr Bassini but as of today no funds have ever been received,” said a Bolton statement.