Nadal passes tough test to reach Monte Carlo Masters semis

Rafael Nadal was pushed all the way by Grigor Dimitrov before winning his 45th straight match at the Monte Carlo Masters, reaching the semi-finals with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 victory Friday.
Nadal dropped only his third set in his last five tournaments here — the previous ones coming against Andy Murray in the 2011 semi-finals and Novak Djokovic in the 2009 final — and he was under pressure at 30-30 in the eighth game of the final set before nailing a crucial serve.
“First of all, it’s a tough loss. I think I gave everything I had today,” Dimitrov said. “I must say, all credit to him. He’s an extraordinary player, extraordinary fighter.”
The eight-time defending champion sealed the victory on his second match point with an ace, after Dimitrov saved the first one with a forehand winner of astonishing power from the back of the court, made even more spectacular as he was limping.
As a 17-year-old, Dimitrov also took a set off Nadal at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and he thrilled the centre court crowd with a superb display of attacking tennis punctuated by exquisite drop shots and ferociously struck winners off both backhand and forehand.
By regularly taking the ball early, Dimitrov unsettled Nadal’s rhythm and the seven-time French Open champ was unable to dictate play.
“I think my game kind of unsettled him. I felt I was also moving well and I think he was surprised that I was moving well,” Dimitrov said. “I actually wanted to play long rallies with him. He made a few mistakes here and there. ”
After more than two hours of an intense contest, Dimitrov seemed to be struggling with cramps, flexing his right leg and rubbing his left thigh.
“Last time I was cramping in the middle of the second,” Dimitrov joked. “That’s progress.”
Dimitrov moved 0-40 ahead in the sixth game with a backhand passer down the line. Nadal saved two break points but lost his serve with a clumsy forehand that sailed way long.
However, he broke straight back for 5-2 and served out the set.
“Even though I lost the first set, I didn’t lose my composure on court, and that helped me win the second,” Dimitrov said. “When the third started, I felt quite comfortable.”
Dimitrov broke Nadal to move 4-2 up in the second set, and when he held for 5-2 there were nervous glances from Nadal up to his uncle Toni Nadal — who by this point had taken off his sunglasses and was offering advice in a bid to reassure his nephew.
Sensing an upset, the crowd roared when Nadal’s two-handed backhand flew into the net and Dimitrov levelled the match.
Dimitrov got the crowd even more on his side with one blistering half-volley down the line early in the third, hitting it with such power and timing that it caught even Nadal off guard.
He got a standing ovation when he saved the first match point, and Nadal’s relief was evident when he won. After hitting an ace he threw both hands up in the air and celebrated the win almost like he had won the final.
The third-seeded Nadal next meets sixth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who beat Stanislas Wawrinka 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/more-sports/nadal-passes-tough-test-to-reach-monte-carlo-masters-semis/article11414285/

Rafael Nadal wins eighth straight Monte Carlo title

MONACO—Rafael Nadal finally managed to beat Novak Djokovic in a final, thrashing the top-ranked Serb 6-3, 6-1 on Sunday to win the Monte Carlo Masters for the eighth consecutive year and end a run of seven straight defeats to his rival in title matches.
Nadal has won a record 20 Masters titles, one more than Roger Federer.

Nadal was hardly troubled by Djokovic and broke the Serb’s serve five times in a totally one-sided contest to clinch his 42nd straight win in Monte Carlo, his first title since last year’s French Open and the 47th of his career.
“I always loved this tournament since I was a kid. One of my dreams was (to) play here,” Nadal said. “It’s a historic tournament (where) you see all your idols when you are a kid playing here.”
The 25-year-old Nadal thrust his hands in the air after clinching victory in style with an ace that flew past the beleaguered Djokovic, who beat Nadal in an epic Australian Open final this year.
“If you see the finals I win here, all the finals are against probably top-six players,” Nadal said. “That’s something that makes the victories even more difficult.”
Nadal leads 17-14 head-to-head, but it was his first win over Djokovic since a group-stage match at the 2010 ATP Finals in London. The Serb had beaten Nadal in three consecutive Grand Slam finals and handed him his only defeats on clay last year.
“Winning against Novak in (the) final after losing a few ones is important for me,” Nadal said. “My level of tennis was high during the last four matches.”
Nadal was also relieved to come through the tournament without further aggravating his troublesome left knee, having rested it and had treatment for three weeks before coming to Monte Carlo.
“I am very happy because my knee is not limiting (my) movement. I can run 100 per cent,” Nadal said. “You have pain, but (if) you feel you can run to every ball, (then) the pain never is a problem.”
Djokovic, who has been grieving the death of his grandfather on Thursday, said he felt emotionally drained.
“I definitely don’t want to take away anything from Rafa’s win. He was a better player,” Djokovic said. “But it’s a fact that I just didn’t have any emotional energy left in me.”
Djokovic’s grandfather was buried in Serbia on Saturday.
“I’ve never been caught up in this kind of emotional situation before,” Djokovic said. “I’m just happy to reach the finals, really, under the circumstances. It’s been a very difficult week for me to go through mentally.”
He has not decided what his schedule will be over the next few days.
“I obviously have to go to visit my grandfather’s grave and see, because I wasn’t there (at the) funeral,” he said. “So I’ll be there.”
Nadal had promised to be aggressive and, after Djokovic held his opening service game at love, the Spaniard was relentless.
“Fantastic, impressive. The way he’s been treating this sport is a real example of a champion,” Djokovic said, when asked about Nadal’s eight straight wins at Monte Carlo. “I only have nice things to say about him.”
Djokovic struggled to find a rhythm, making 25 unforced errors to just 11 winners. Nadal, however, timed most of his shots to perfection, and pushed Djokovic further and further back.
“I think today he played just enough to win,” Djokovic said. “I just wasn’t there. You know, I didn’t play well, play at all, you know. I just was out there trying to put the ball in the court.”
The breezy conditions seemed to bother Djokovic more than they did Nadal, although the swirling winds were not as intense as Saturday.
Nadal, the 10-time Grand Slam champion, found his range very quickly and broke Djokovic in the third game when the Serb’s backhand went wide.
While Djokovic held his next service game with great difficulty, Nadal won his at love to take a 4-2 lead.
Djokovic was up 40-15 in the next but was surprised when a couple of mistimed returns from Nadal landed just in. That seemed to frustrate the Serb and he gave Nadal another break point with a sloppy backhand that went wide. The Serb saved it and then held with a beautifully weighted drop shot.
But Nadal broke him again in the ninth game to take the opening set, with Djokovic yet again planting a backhand wide.
A double break gave Nadal a 4-0 lead in the second set and Djokovic could not find a way back.

 Source: http://www.thestar.com/sports/tennis/article/1166014--rafael-nadal-wins-eighth-straight-monte-carlo-title

Rafa en photos

MONTE-CARLO, MONACO - APRIL 21: Rafael Nadal of Spain against Gilles Simon of France in their semi-final during day seven of the ATP Monte Carlo Masters, at Monte-Carlo Sporting Club on April 21, 2012 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Rafa en photos

Spain's Rafael Nadal against Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland during their quarter final match of the Monte Carlo Tennis Masters tournament in Monaco, Friday, April 20, 2012.

Rafa en photos

Spain's Rafael Nadal against Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin, on April 19, 2012 in Monaco. (Photo by Valery Hache /AFP/Getty Images)

DJOKOVIC, NADAL REACH THIRD ROUND AT MONTE CARLO

MONACO -- Seven-time defending champion Rafael Nadal and top-ranked Novak Djokovic got their clay-court seasons off to a good start with comfortable wins in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters on Wednesday.
Djokovic opened with a 6-1, 6-4 win against Andreas Seppi of Italy and his archrival Nadal followed up by beating Jarkko Nieminen of Finland 6-4, 6-3.
"I thought I was really focused first set. I had a tough opponent, obviously, a quality opponent that plays good on clay," Djokovic said. "For the first match (on clay) since Roland Garros last year, it was satisfying."
Nadal looked a bit rusty at times after not playing a match for three weeks to rest and treat his troublesome left knee.
"I played a really normal (average) match, nothing special. Nothing very bad, but nothing very good," said Nadal, who improved his overall record here to 40-1, including 38 straight wins. "First match on clay after long time without touching a racket."
He broke Nieminen's serve four times, and had the match closed for him when the Finn double-faulted.
The Spaniard, who has not won a title since last year's French Open and has lost seven straight tournament finals to Djokovic, next plays Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin.
Nadal's last match was against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the Sony Ericsson Open quarterfinals. He pulled out of his semifinal against Andy Murray to get treatment for a knee tendon problem, having skipped a chunk of the season to rest his knees following the Australian Open.
"I need practice, and today was a good practice," Nadal said. "Tomorrow (is) going to be another tough match against a player who is dangerous."
Nieminen's heavy forehand pushed Nadal well back at times, and the Spaniard was broken for the first time when serving for the match at 5-2.
Since 2005, Nadal has won at Monte Carlo and Roland Garros every year except '09.

Source: http://www.tsn.ca/tennis/story/?id=393510

Rafa en photos

En entrainement à Monte Carlo avec son oncle Toni. Training in Monte Carlo with his uncle Toni.