Rafael Nadal hailed his historic fourth successive Monte Carlo Masters title triumph as a “special moment” that rewarded his fighting spirit.
Nadal beat Roger Federer 7-5, 7-5 in Sunday’s final, but had to come back from 0-4 down in the second set on his way to claiming seven of the last eight games.
It was his 24th career crown and he became the first man since New Zealander Anthony Wilding in 1914 to win four Monte Carlo titles in a row and the first in the Open era.
PHOTO: AP
It was also his 22nd successive victory in the tournament and 98th win in his last 99 clay court matches. His only loss was in the Hamburg Masters final last year when Federer brought his record 81-match winning streak to a halt.
To hammer home his dominance, he then teamed up with compatriot Tommy Robredo to win the doubles as well.
“If I was going to lose the second set, I was going to lose 6-2 or something, anything but 6-0,” the champion said. “So I was determined to win every point. He was controlling the court, so I had to come inside more. To win this tournament for a fourth time is a special moment. I didn’t play well in Indian Wells or Miami and if I was going to lose here then I was going to lose playing well.”
Federer described Nadal as a “hell of a clay court player.”
Sunday’s defeat was the world No. 1’s third loss in a row in the final against the Spaniard and his seventh defeat in eight clay court clashes, the deadly slow surface on which the 21-year-old Mallorcan, the triple French Open champion, is the undisputed ruler.
“You can’t get away with just serving well because he scrambles so well and can break you at ease,” Federer said.
Federer had his opportunities.
He broke first in both sets and was 4-0 ahead in the second before Nadal stormed to victory.
“It’s hard to imagine winning this title for four years in a row,” said Nadal, who collected his first trophy since winning in Stuttgart last July.
Federer was full of praise for his opponent.
“I have to congratulate Rafa. It seems to be the same thing every year here,” he said.
Federer, who was laid low by glandular fever in January, said he was taking positives from the match.
“I’ve come back strong and I’m happy where things are right now. It’s been a positive week for me. I could have lost in the first round. But I’ve beaten some great players here and pushed Rafa today,” Federer said. “I know I can beat him if I play the right way — I didn’t have that feeling when I played here last year. I’m healthy and moving well.”
“My attacking game didn’t work today, that’s where I lost too many points,” added Federer, who sent down an ugly 44 unforced errors to Nadal’s 20.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to