Rafa won the China Open in 2005. Rafa won 11 tournaments, including his first Grand Slam (RG, of course). This is also the year he went from being ranked #56 to #2.
Rafa won his 3rd round match against Istomin. By all accounts, it was a tough match for Rafa, with rain delays, an injury time-out, and just generally looking pretty bleh. Still, a win is a win.