Nadal sees off Monfils to end four-year Monaco wait

Rafa Nadal ended his four-year wait for a ninth Monte Carlo Masters title by defeating Gael Monfils 7-5 5-7 6-0 on Sunday in his 100th career final. Nadal won eight consecutive titles before losing the 2013 final to Novak Djokovic and, after struggling for fitness in recent years, he demonstrated his return to form by overwhelming the home favourite in the third set to win his 28th Masters title.

“Monte Carlo has been one of the most special places in my career,” Nadal told the crowd on receiving the trophy. “It was a pleasure to play back here again and in a final.” It’s been a special week for me, winning here in Monte Carlo is so special,” he added. “See you next year.”

Monfils, seeded 13th and looking to become the tournament’s first French winner since Cedric Pioline, started strongly, exchanging consecutive break points with Nadal, before losing the first set 7-5.

Monfils broke Nadal to take an early 2-1 lead in the second, but the Spaniard broke back to level at 4-4 before Monfils wrestled back the initiative to take the set. Nadal dominated the final set, however, breaking Monfils, who appeared drained by his earlier exertions, three times to win his first Masters title since 2014 and his 48th clay crown.

“Congratulations to Rafa,” Monfils said. “An incredible match today and I’m very happy that you won again.”

The Weekly Data. Always Nadal

The impressive forehand of Rafael Nadal flew over the line to land on the right corner of an exhausted Gael Monfils, finalising with that last bounce the final of the Masters 1000 tournament in Monte Carlo, 7-5 5-7 6-0. On the other side of the court, Nadal fell to his knees and kissed the clay, his clay, of the court Rainier III of the legendary Country Club.

It was his ninth title in the Principality, his 28th Masters 1000, the 48th got on clay, the 68th of his career in his 100th final. A dizzying record, but Nadal and his team, celebrate it with so much emotion and poignantly – there were also tears – as if it were the first.

And in a certain sense this great triumph of Rafa is certainly the first; the first after the worst longest streak of play and results in his career, the first after being buried and given by bygone his career as candidate for the majors.

But Nadal always comes back. He did so in 2010, to regain the number 1 in the world, after a 2009 marked by injuries and personal problems. As he did it in 2013 to displace Novak Djokovic after spending six months away from the competition. Now, when least expected it, he gets this great triumph on clay, the surface of which he is undisputed monarch and so often has been balmy in his career. A revival that belies everyone, including maybe, himself.

Monte Carlo´s tournament marks the return to the foreground of Nadal, not only by the value of the title itself – huge, by the way – but also for the exhibited game and the great difficulty of rivals he has found, Thiem, Wawrinka, Murray and Monfils in one of the best moments of his career. All of them, except Wawrinka, lost again in his own demons, put Nadal in serious difficulty. But Nadal has recovered in Monegasque lands his hallmarks: patience, confidence, consistency and a physical condition that Monfils can attest, whom, exhausted in the third set, had to attend to the deployment of Rafa, much more powerful after the first two sets.

With this ninth title in Monte Carlo, Nadal is just one title behind of the historical record of 49 titles on clay hold by Guillermo Vilas. He equals Djokovic in Masters 1000 titles, tied with Federer in number of finals, 42, and he stays just a few hundredths behind of recovering the record for best winning percentage in tournaments of this category, 82,54% for the Serbian, 82.49% for Nadal. Wins highest % Masters 1000 Most ATP titles on clay

On the other hand, Rafa becomes the sixth member of the exclusive club of players with 100 ATP finals. He is preceded by Connors (164), Lendl (146, although ATP gives him 145, forgetting Stratton Mountain in 1987), Federer (136), McEnroe (109) and Vilas (104). Most ATP Finals

The other big star of this 109th edition of the tournament in Monte Carlo was Gael Monfils. The French is doing a great season, with outstanding results in all tournaments which allows him to ranked fifth in the ATP Race. Monfils is showing a greater maturity in his game, always spectacular, and it seems that injuries are giving him a truce. He is also having good luck with the draws; up to 14 times the seed that theoretically would have to play against him have been ousted before facing him. In Australia, Monfils eluded Anderson, Nadal and Wawrinka. In Rotterdam Simon, Cilic and Goffin; In Indian Wells Kyrgios, Murray and Berdych; In Miami he evaded Murray at the round of 16 and finally in Montecarlo he has avoided Djokovic, Goffin, Federer and Murray.

Be that as it may, Monfils is taking advantage of the situation based on a great game and a new fighting spirit. The statistics he has signed in Monte Carlo are spectacular: leader in percentage of total return points won and a record for the memory of 29 breaks in 57 return games played for an exceptional mark of 50,88%. Monte Carlo 2016 stats

Even with Nadal, where precedents were very negative – the head to head between them was 2-11 with a 0-4 on clay courts, without having won a set and with only three breaks won- the French knew overcome statistics taking forward the second set and scoring five breaks to the Spanish. What he could not do was get the victory and he did not improve his disastrous series at finals – 24 finals played, 5 wins and 19 losses – but he showed that he can be one of the main protagonists of this season. Nadal-Monfils H2H analysis

Other landmarks in the tournament were the early elimination of Tomas Berdych – runner-up the previous year – and, above all, the defeat of Novak Djokovic at the hands of Jiri Vesely, which has been the biggest surprise of the season. The Serbian, probably exhausted physically and psychologically, summed it up concisely: “I need a holiday”.

Dominic Thiem showed that he is just a point of maturity away to aspire to anything, including Roland Garros. Andy Murray could finally focus on his game. Roger Federer was happy with his performance on his back to competition. Jo-Wilfred Tsonga made it clear once again he is able to do the best and the worst. Fernando Verdasco lost again after wasting a match point and Damir Dzumhur remains in the cloud he rides in Miami.

The European clay season has only started. The Godo takes place this week, with Nadal aiming to set another “9” in his track record, and Bucharest. While the tennis world yearns for the ultimate showdown on clay, Nadal and Djokovic face to face. Madrid, Rome and Paris are waiting.

Nadal sinks Murray to reach final with Monfils

Rafa Nadal continued his resurgence with a thrilling 2-6 6-4 6-2 victory over world number two Andy Murray on Saturday to set up a Monte Carlo Masters final against Gael Monfils.

Eight-times champion Nadal has struggled since losing the 2013 final to Novak Djokovic but overcame a strong early showing from Murray to book a spot in Sunday’s final.

Monfils beat eighth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-1 6-3 to become the first Frenchman to reach the Monte Carlo final since Cedric Pioline in 2000.

“It’s great to be back in the final,” said Nadal. “Every year is different; I’ll never be the same as I was in 2009 or 2013, I want to play better every day.”

Nadal started sluggishly, allowing an aggressive Murray to take the opening set before breaking serve in the seventh game of the second to take the initiative. Another Nadal break at the beginning of the third set was a sign of things to come and the Spaniard demonstrated his mastery on clay as the momentum slipped away from the ill-tempered Murray to reach the 100th final of his career.

“Rafa is playing better this year, his confidence is growing,” said Murray. “I’m not surprised by his comeback.”I played a good match today for the most part,” continued the Scot. “But you have to take your chances. It was frustrating to see it slip away.”

Monfils, the 13th seed, twice broke Tsonga to tear into a 3-0 lead before closing out the first set 6-1, as his opponent struggled to rouse himself.

The second set continued much as the first had ended and Monfils raced into a 4-1 lead before Tsonga, perhaps drained after a testing quarter-final victory over Roger Federer, began to discover his rhythm.

By then it was too late, however, and Monfils saw out the second set. “I tried to get into my game immediately and put him under pressure,” said Monfils. “I’m happy to have qualified for the final. “I’m going to savour it and I hope that we’ll deliver a good match on Sunday.”

Federer knocked out by Tsonga in Monte Carlo

Roger Federer was knocked out of the Monte Carlo Masters when he slumped to a 3-6 6-2 7-5 defeat by local favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarter-finals on Friday. The Swiss third seed, back in action this week after a 10-week layoff, started brightly as he breezed through the opening set but Tsonga, targeting Federer’s forehand, played tighter and levelled with a strong display in the second.
The Frenchman broke in the 11th game of the decider with a passing shot winner and he closed it out on serve on his first match point to set up a meeting with either compatriot Gael Monfils or Spain’s Marcel Granollers.

Nadal flexes muscles in Monte Carlo

There were glimpses of the formidable Rafa Nadal as the eight-times champions swept aside French Open champion Stan Wawrinka 6-1 6-4 on Friday to reach the Monte Carlo Master semi-finals.
The Spaniard, who set a tournament record of 46 wins in a row in the principality from 2005 to 2013 when he finished runner-up, will take on Andy Murray for a place in the final.

World number two Andy Murray raced into last four with a 6-2 6-0 demolition of Canadian Milos Raonic. Opening proceedings on centre court, the Briton, who struggled in the previous round, was never bothered by 10th seed Raonic in a one-sided match.

Murray, who hit 19 winners and did not face single break point, was beaten twice by Nadal in the semi-finals of the first claycourt Masters of the season.The fifth-seeded Nadal, who broke decisively in the ninth game of the second set, has yet to win a title this year. Former world number one Roger Federer is up next against local favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Murray storms into Monte Carlo last four

World tennis number two Andy Murray raced into the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters with a 6-2 6-0 demolition of Canadian Milos Raonic on Friday.

Opening proceedings on centre court, the Briton, who struggled in the previous round, was never bothered by 10th seed Raonic in a one-sided encounter.Murray, who hit 19 winners and did not face single break point, will next face either eight-times champion Rafa Nadal or 2014 winner Stan Wawrinka.

Murray survives Paire scare to reach Monte Carlo quarters

Andy Murray avoided following Novak Djokovic out of the Monte Carlo Masters exit door after surviving a scare against local favourite Benoit Paire to reach the quarter-finals with a 2-6 7-5 7-5 victory on Thursday.

A day after world number one Djokovic suffered a stunning defeat to 55th-ranked Czech Jiri Vesely, Murray looked in trouble against Paire before eventually subduing his opponent to set up a meeting with Canadian Milos Raonic.

World number two Murray was 5-4 down in the third set when Paire cracked under pressure and lost the remaining three games to hand victory to the Briton. “I panicked. It’s the biggest disappointment of my career,” said Paire, who won the first set easily and was two breaks up in the second before Murray fought back.

Eight-times Monte Carlo champion Rafa Nadal was made to work hard by Dominic Thiem before advancing to the last eight 7-5 6-3 after the Austrian wasted 15 of 16 break points in the opening set.

The Spaniard will next face Stan Wawrinka after the Swiss, who won the claycourt Masters in 2014, demolished Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-1 6-2.
“From the start I was very strict with myself. I had to keep my tactics, be patient, attack him whenever I had the opportunity,” said fourth seed Wawrinka.”My concentration was very good. This is important against Gilles. From the start I needed to dominate and be very present on the court. I succeeded in doing that.”

Third seed Roger Federer, back in action after a 10-week layoff, eased past Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2 6-4.The Swiss will face either Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or another Frenchman Lucas Pouille.France’s Gael Monfils, the 13th seed, ended the run of Djokovic’s conqueror Vesely with a 6-1 6-2 win.

Nadal defeats Thiem in an epic battle

At the time of writing these lines still remain 11 matches to be played in the tournament of Monte Carlo, but it will be difficult that other match exceeds in quality and excitement the first set that Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem have disputed today on the court Rainier III of the Country Club where the Spaniard, after a great battle, has finally won 7-5 6-3 to advance to the quarters of the Monte Carlo Masters 1000.

The Austrian showed up willing to replicate his recent victory in Buenos Aires. The plan was clear, keeps hitting as much as possible on the Nadal´s backhand, cornered him in the right side of the court to, at the appropriate time, place the winner to the other side or finish the point at the volley. The tactic worked perfectly; with deep and heavy shots Thiem dominated the pace of the match and kept Rafa faraway of the baseline. The prize came early; he got a break in the third game.

But Rafa is a rock. Maybe time has worn something his edges, but he is still a wall. He is always there, waiting for the right moment, alert to the minimum hesitation of his rival. In the sixth game, Thiem lowered the level of his game and Nadal took advantage of the circumstances to balance the match.
Then the firestorm Thiem exploded. The Austrian restrained Nadal with all kinds of hits: incredible passing shots, improbable angles, he caught Nadal off balance several times… a very complete and high quality tennis so the only thing Nadal could do was defend the best he knew. Up to 12 break points managed Thiem between the games seventh, ninth and eleventh – for a total of 16 in the set- result of his aggressive tennis. Then the inexperience of Thiem took a leading role in the form of nerves and precipitation and the Austrian could not take advantage of his multiple chances.

So, with 6-5 and Thiem serving for the tie-break, the pressure switched side. The Austrian, who thought he would win the set, was not adapted to the new situation and Nadal, masterful managing every moment of the match, did not miss the opportunity to win 7-5.

With both players seriously punished by the effort, the second set was another story. Thiem, accusing the psychological blow, lost the patience and he began to play much more direct. This is a mortal sin on clay courts and especially against Rafa Nadal. Given the quality that he possesses he got amazing winners and he even broke Nadal´s service – this time at the first opportunity – in the third game.
But tennis is a game of percentages and Thiem could not go very far with that strategy. He lost his advantage in the fourth game and his game was deflating gradually while the ball of Nadal, full of confidence, was getting faster and heavier. Thiem hold on until 3-3 and since then he could not win another game.

Nadal showed once again his mastery on clay, patient, expert, without never despair and knowing that, at the end always comes his chance in spite of the level of the rival. He is still the king of clay because nobody read the game and handles the difficult moments as well as him. Facing, Thiem, the Prince, a player enormously talented who has a great future and he will be soon a candidate to win Roland Garros, he only needs a bit of maturing. The clay of Monte Carlo today welcomed its purest dynasty but succession will have to wait.

Vesely defeats Djokovic

Any tennis fan knows very well that clay has its own codes. Today, in Monte Carlo it has been demonstrated once more. In the biggest surprise of the year, Jiri Vesely has defeated 6-4 2-6 6-4 Novak Djokovic – who has not played on clay since last edition of Roland Garros – making value of the four matches on clay the Czech had played in Marrakesh last week.

Djokovic started the match as he usually does in his recent debuts: cold, somewhat erratic and suffering the lack of adaptation to the clay. Many unforced errors and a moderate pace in which Vesely felt like a kid in a candy store. World number one forehand did not put in trouble at all to Czech who, without complexes and nothing to lose, played pretty aggressive since the first minute, especially with his backhand.

Vesely won his service games without any problem – Djokovic only won 2 of 22 return points in the first set- and his confident was increasing when he has to retrieve. He was about to get a break in the fifth game and at the seventh he did it. 6-4

The second set started with the same pattern but everybody in the Country Club seemed convinced that the Serbian reaction would come sooner or later. Djokovic was not playing well and accused too much the change of surface, but the name of Djokovic is so heavy that no one doubted that Vesely would have to settle for playing the role of Fratangelo.

The sensations were confirmed midway through the second set. Djokovic keeps playing without accelerating the pace of play, but he reduced the unforced errors and that seemed to be enough win the match. Two breaks in the sixth and eighth games give him the set, 6-2, and the destiny of the match seemed wrapped up.

But in tennis it is not always enough to not fail, even if your name is Novak Djokovic. The Serbian came out in the third set waiting the unforced errors of the Czech. A plan that perhaps has worked many times lately, but today Vesely was not content with that. The Czech recovered his aggressive pattern and surprised world number one again in the first game. A break that was not in the script.
Djokovic could tie immediately. More because of the mistakes of Vesely than because his own hits. Vesely refused to finish off a ball that seemed easy and his forehand went beyond the line. Next, Djokovic took advantage of the break point. He would never have another in the rest of the game.

Vesely, far from become discouraged, got a break again in the third game. There were time enough to overcome, but Djokovic did not accelerate the pace, he did not pressured Vesely or risked in his shots. The match was slowly wasting away and the King of tennis was unable to give a step towards. He barely tried a game with drop shots in which the Czech, very attentive and fast, almost always emerged victorious. Nerves, if they existed, did not result in errors and finally Djokovic hands over, placidly, the game.

It is been almost six years since Djokovic has lost against a player out of the top-50. Xavier Malisse was the last who beat him in Queen’s 2010. The Serbian did not lose in his first match of a Masters 1000 tournament since he lost against Dimitrov in second round at Madrid 2013. In the opposite side, Vesely gets his first victory before the top-10 – he had lost his eight previous matches – with nothing less than a victory against the number one in the world. And he also achieves his first classification for the round of 16 in a Masters 1000.

It has been a huge surprise at Monte Carlo. The victory of Jiri Vesely not only shows us that tennis on clay has very specific requirements, as the other day commented on his blog Alex Corretja. Also reminds us all something that sometimes we forget. Nobody is unbeatable.

The Weekly Data. Argentinian party

Two Argentinian, Federico Delbonis and Juan Monaco, were the winners of a week in which the big players chosen to hide the cards – the only one top-20 competing was John Isner, in Houston – reserving forces for the intense clay calendar that Monte Carlo opens from today.

Delbonis continuing his great season start triumphing in Marrakech, the second ATP title of his career, after the successful in Sao Paulo two years ago. The left-handed Argentine, showing he is in a great form and confidence, barely had difficulties for winning the tournament. He did not lose a single set and he even was not forced to a play tiebreak. He led widely the tournament stats of returning points won and he only lost 4 games serving. Marrakech 2016 stats.

With this victory Delbonis raises 11 positions in the ATP ranking, moving up to number 36, and he becomes, for the first time in his career, the best Argentine ranked. He is a clear choice for the Argentine Davis Cup captain, Daniel Orsanic, ahead of the tie with Italy next July. ATP ranking 11-04-2016

As it is undoubtedly also Juan Mónaco, who after nearly three years won again an ATP title, the ninth of his career and the second in Houston. Monaco do not tasted success since May of 2013, when he defeated Jarkko Nieminen to lift the title of Düsseldorf. Monaco ATP titles

The Argentine closes a long stretch of the desert that began with a very negative 2014 and lasted in 2015, when a serious injury of wrist – which has kept him away from the circuit six months – interrupted a promising season in which he was achieving good results.

Monaco clinched the title of Houston from the 148 position of the ATP ranking and he is the first player out the top-100 winning an ATP title since Rajeev Ram did it last year in Newport. With this victory, Monaco rises to the 86th, overtaking nothing less than 62 positions from his previous classification.

The final in Houston was dramatic, with multiple alternatives and both players with obvious physical problems. Jack Sock, who defended the title and until the 6-3 in the first set against the Argentine held a streak of 17 consecutive sets, could overcome heroically two breaks down in the third set and overtake from 1-4 to 5-4 before his physical condition reach the limit of his resistance. With Sock no longer able to move on the court, Monaco could surmount his nerves and scored the last three games of the match. Sock Houston results

John Isner was ousted again, losing only one break in the tournament. Unusual case of the American. In Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro he lost early without losing a single service game. Nishikori beat him in Indian Wells without getting a single break ball and Smyczek eliminated him from Miami when the American lost his fourth consecutive tie-break in the decisive set. The American, who leads 2016 in aces and percentage of serving points and games won, is taking little advantage of the strength of his serve. 2016 stats

Other players who sparking a fine week were Borna Coric who played in Marrakech his second ATP final, after Chennai this year, and he missed the chance again of becoming the first player under 20 years winning an ATP title after the victory of Marin Cilic in New Haven 2008.

Also in Morocco, the young Korean Hyeon Chung reached for second time a quarter-final in an ATP tournament and he was close to move on to the next round, if he had taken advantage of any of the 7 break point he missed against Isner. In this same tournament, Albert Montañes got three victories to sneak into the semi-finals, something he could not get since Nice 2014.

Monte Carlo has already started and with it the season of the big European tournaments on clay. The top players have just return to scene, including Roger Federer, who reappears in the Principality after his meniscus surgery that took him out of the competition two months. The glamour and tradition of the European courts bring us new emotions and great taste for the patient and elaborated tennis nature of the clay court. The show is just beginning.