Rafael Nadal’s reign continues in Monte Carlo – Tennis Special
It seems like the title of Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters champion has been permanently reserved for Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard captured his eighth straight crown at the clay courts of Monte Carlo Country Club, after beating reigning
world number one, Novak Djokovic on Sunday.
The win over Djokovic is also important from the aspect that it ended Nadal’s seven match losing streak at the hands of the Serbian. Djokovic’s stretch of wins over the Spaniard started at the hard courts of BNP Paribas Open and
ended at the Australian Open, including two triumphs over the King of Clay on his favourite surface.
Nadal’s fans were worried if he would be ever able to beat Djokovic or not and it was the clay courts at this ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event that ended their concerns.
It was also the style of win which is significant, as the world number two allowed Djokovic to claim just four games in the entire match, thrashing the world’s top player 6-3, 6-1.
Nadal said, after the match, "It's very important to break that situation. It's important to win a tournament another time. Especially [this] tournament. [Breaking] that situation [and] winning a Masters 1000, one of my favourites,
everything perfect today."
The Spaniard has an unbelievable record at his favourite tournament which is unmatchable by any player at any event in the history of the sport. He has captured eight straight titles starting from 2005, winning 42 matches in a
row. His only defeat here came in 2003 when he participated for the first time, losing to that time’s best player on the clay courts, Guillermo Coria, in the round of 16.
Nadal’s eight consecutive titles at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters surpass all the winning streaks by male and female players combined. Previously, he shared the record with one of the greatest players on the WTA Tour, Margaret
Court, who had won seven straight titles at the Australian Open from 1960 to 1966. On the men’s side, the Spaniard’s nearest rival is Guillermo Vilas, who grabbed six in a row at the Copa Claro in Buenos Aires.
Declaring Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters his favourite event after the match, Nadal said, "It's my favourite tournament in the world. I always loved this tournament since I was a kid. One of my dreams was to play here. It's a historic
tournament [where] you see all your idols when you are a kid playing here.”
This win will also give a boost to Nadal’s confidence for keeping his King of Clay title. The Spaniards status as the best player on the slowest surface was shaken after his two consecutive straight set losses at the hands of Djokovic
last year. However, this convincing victory over the Serbian has proved that Nadal still remains the undisputed King of the European clay courts.
He said, “To start the clay-court season winning here is an amazing feeling. This tournament is very special for me. My level of tennis was high during the last four matches, since the second round."
Nadal will now try to defend his title at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell in this week. He also has a brilliant record there, winning a total of six titles.
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