Rafael Nadal outmuscles Jarkko Nieminen at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters 2012: Tennis Special
Defending champion, Rafael Nadal, stomped over the Finn contestant, Jarkko Nieminen, in straight sets at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Master 2012 on Wednesday. He jolted down a 6-4, 6-3 victory against the world number 48 to book a spot in the round of 16 at this
clay court event held in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Monaco.
The king of clay, Nadal, showed flawless performance at this ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour Masters 1000 event and dumped the Finn in one hour and 26 minutes. The contestants previously battled each other at this tournament last season
and after bagging this match, Nadal improved to a 7-0 lifetime in the FedEx ATP Head 2 Head series against the 30-year-old.
Ranked second in the South African Airways ATP World Tour Rankings, Nadal thundered into the Monte Carlo Country and drew the first blood in the opening game and jumped to a 2-0 lead. He then swiped in his remaining serves through exquisite forehands form
his arsenal of skills and clinched the opener with a 6-4 score line.
The former world number one kept momentum rolling into the proceeding set and after earning the desiderated break in the third game, he leaped at 3-1. Nadal then maintained consistency in his game and capitalised on another break opportunity in the seventh
game to extend his lead by 5-2. Despite losing his serve in the eighth game, the Spaniard broke his opponent’s serve again in the last game and pulled out the set with a 6-3 score line.
All in all, the left-handed Spaniard ruled throughout the match. He clobbered a slightly lower first serve share of 65 per cent as opposed to the Finn’s 67 per cent and brilliantly clicked 22 out of 31 points on it. Nadal also fully capitalised on the several
unforced errors and four double faults Nieminen spilled.
Next in queue for the 25-year-old is the Kazakhstani qualifier, Mikhail Kukushkin.
"We need days to see how all the sensations improve: the knees, the tennis, everything," said the top Spanish in a courtside interview after the match. "When you stop for 15 days without practice, physical performance, practice tennis, your body loses a
little bit the performance. That's usual. I need practice, and today was a good practice. Tomorrow is going to be another tough match against a player who is dangerous. We'll see what's going to happen."
The qualifier stunned the Italian star, Filippo Volandri, in a three set mouth-watering match in two hours and 17 minutes. He was broken down five times but cashed in five out of 11 break opportunities to formulate a 7-6(8), 2-6, 6-2 success in their first
encounter.
Nadal needs to play his original game in order to ease past the Kazakh without facing any trouble. He should capitalise on his higher first serve winning share and a better breakpoint conversion rate to pull out the victory in straight sets. Both stars previously
battled each other at the Bangkok ATP event two years ago where the Spaniard crushed Kukushkin in straight sets.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
Tags: