Rafael Nadal reigns supreme at the 2011 Monte Carlo Masters
Current World Number 1 Rafael “Rafa” Nadal extended his run at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Monte Carlo yesterday, defeating compatriot and fourth seed David Ferrer in a straight-sets match 6-4, 7-5 to win the title for the
seventh time in a row.
The player, who dropped just one set on his way to the final, was obviously elated by his victory. He says, “It’s really emotional and unbelievable for me. (To) win seven times in a row anywhere is almost impossible I think. But
to win Monte Carlo, all the best players in the world are here, you always have tough matches, it is impossible to imagine for me. So I am very lucky, I think.”
This is the seventh time since 1990 that two Spaniards have competed against each other in an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title match. Nadal began the match well, and broke at 3-2 to move ahead with a decisive forehand. He struggled
slightly, and saved five of six break points in the first set to take a total of 53 per cent of the points. At this point, the score-line was 6-4. Nadal began the second set extremely well, breaking Ferrer in the third game. However, his edge soon vanished
as his compatriot seemed determined to make up for lost points in the first set. The World Number 1 played sloppily, committing careless errors and allowing Ferrer to break him once. The match went into a tie-breaking game in the second set, but Nadal prevailed
and broke his Spanish opponent twice to reach a 6-4, 7-5 victory in a little over two hours and fifteen minutes.
The victory was a significant one for Nadal, who is the first player to win a title seven times in a row at the same tournament. This win also marked his 19th ATP World Tour Masters victory, two more than the number
held by both World Number 3 Roger Federer and tennis legend Andre Agassi. He debuted at Monte Carlo in 2003, where he lost in the third round of the tournament. After that defeat, the player has won every single match at the venue and currently has a winning
record of 39-1 on the clay courts of Monte Carlo.
Ferrer took the loss extremely well, and seemed to accept that he had been bested by the better player. The Spaniard said, “Rafa is incredible on clay. I mean, he’s everywhere at the same time. He’s the best player on clay in history.”
This ties in with Rafa’s title, King of Clay. The Spaniard is expected to wreak havoc on the ATP clay swing once again this year.
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