Rafa vs Monfils: the Japan Open Finals
Tennis pro Rafa managed to oust Viktor Troicki in a three set fight, while Gael Monfils outclassed Radek Stepanek, resulting in a final match between the Spaniard and the Frenchman to determine the holder of the Japan Open cup.
World Number 1 on the Association of Tennis Professionals rankings, tennis pro Rafael “Rafa” Nadal has much to celebrate this year. Rafael Nadal has reached the quarter finals of almost every event he has played, and he has won the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters, the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open, the French Open, the Wimbledon Championship and the US Open (a Grand Slam event he had yet to conquer).
However, last week, Rafa suffered an unexpected and crushing defeat at the hands of compatriot Guillermo Garcio Lopez at the PTT Thailand Open; he managed to upset Nadal 6-2, 6-7 (3-7), 3-6. Rafa himself seemed dejected by the loss, later saying to reporters, “He played a great match, especially in the third (set). I had a great chance to be in the final. I have to blame myself that I didn’t play aggressive when I had a chance to break. He served well on break points. I lost chance after chance.”
Nevertheless, with the optimism and spirit which is one of the reasons Rafael Nadal is a champion, he seems to have sprung right back into the midst. The next tournament Rafa is participating in is the 2010 Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships. In his first round, Nadal defeated Santiago Geraldo in straight sets 6-4, 6-4, despite lack of sleep due to turbulence on his way from Bangkok to Tokyo. In the next round, he upset Canadian Miles Raonic with the same set score, 6-4, 6-4. This victory promoted him to the quarter finals of the event, where he defeated Dmitry Tursunov in an even easier match, concluding the game in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1. After this, Rafa beat Viktor Troicki in a three set upset, 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 7-6 (9-7). This match proved more difficult than the previous three; Nadal battled back against two match points before finally defeating Troicki in a nerve-wracking final.
This win helped the World Number 1 advance to reach the finals of the Japan Open. He is pitted against French pro Gael Monfils.
This Frenchman has had a mixed year. Although he has not scored any victories, Monfils has made it to the quarter finals or better of a great majority of the events he competed in. At the 2010 Japan Open, he has defeated players such as Go Soeda, Andreas Seppi, and in the quarter finals, Andy Roddick.
At the semi finals, Monfils defeated Czech tennis pro Radek Stepanek in straight sets, retaining control of the match throughout with forehands and five aces, to beat him out of the semi final. This victory advances Monfils to his second final of the year, and his first final at Tokyo. The fifth seed, who reached the semi finals in 2009 before fellow Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga wiped him out, says, “I’m really happy to be in the final in Tokyo for the first time.”
Although most people would peg Rafael Nadal as a sure winner at the Rakuten Japan Open, but Garcia Lopez and his victory against Nadal proves that such outcomes are never predictable. Monfils himself has had more practice than usual – he says, “In Brisbane, I had a shoulder problem, so I couldn't serve 100 per cent. I came today very strong. That made the difference.” – So he is guaranteed to bring his A game to the court. Let’s hope Rafa does the same.
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