Juan Carlos Ferrero had high hopes of advancing to the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters, but instead smacked into an impenetrable brick wall named Rafael Nadal on Friday.
Nadal’s shock fourth-round defeat at last year’s French Open was long forgotten as the clay court master, four-times a winner at Roland Garros, powered past his fellow Spaniard 6-4, 6-2.
In the other part of the draw, top seed Novak Djokovic scored an impressive 6-2, 6-3 win over Argentina’s David Nalbandian.
Ferrero, who had won 17 of his 18 matches on the slow surface this season, tried to attack Nadal’s backhand. Nadal in turn reacted by stifling Ferrero.
“This result against probably one of the tougher opponents right now on clay is a very good one and I served much better today,” Nadal said. “My serve was much better than the rest of the three days. That’s very important too.”
Ferrero said: “I think on clay, he is at the same high level. Of course, he has some bad matches on clay, but still he puts a thousand balls in court and it’s difficult to get a winner. So his bad days are good.”
The second seed, looking for a record sixth win in Monte Carlo and a first ATP title in 11 months, will next face compatriot David Ferrer, a 7-5, 7-6 (7/1) winner over Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber.
Nadal’s match had to be halted midway through the first set after gusting winds and rain caused havoc on court.
The world No. 3 wiped off dust in his eyes in the third game, while VIPs on the terrace had the sunshades pulled back into place after sudden gusts of winds sent white napkins flying.
Ferrero refused to get distracted by the airborne debris, however, and grabbed a 3-2 lead in the tense encounter when the players were ordered back into the locker room.
While some fans took cover from the elements by draping Spanish flags around their shoulders, Nadal wore a grumpy look as he trudged off center court for about 30 minutes.
On resumption, Nadal stepped up a gear to break for 5-4 with a stunning forehand, following up on serve to clinch the opening set.
The former world No. 1 kept up the pressure, breaking in the first game of the second set as Ferrero gradually ran out of steam — and hope.
A cross-court forehand winner gave Nadal another break for 4-1, which delighted his father Sebastian who kept a close eye on the match from under his panama hat.
Ferrero found unlikely angles to save a couple match-points, but bowed to the inevitable on the third, returning a serve into the net.
Nadal took some time to deal with all autograph requests from young fans, high-fiving them with a broad smile on his face as he left the court.
In the later game, Nalbandian, who showed glimpses of his clay court abilities in the previous round, conceded the first 11 points of the match as Djokovic raced to a 3-0 lead.
The former Australian Open champion had too much confidence and although Nalbandian threatened a comeback in the second set, Djokovic ended the contest with an exquisite drop shot.
“This is one of the best matches I’ve played in 2010, definitely,” Djokovic told reporters. “Now I have high expectations on this surface. It’s a great start. I can’t ask for more.”
Next in line for Djokovic is Fernando Verdasco, who threw away a 5-1 lead and three match-points in the second set against fellow Spaniard Albert Montanes, before getting his act together to prevail 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-0.
■FAMILY CIRCLE CUP
AFP, CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA
Top seed Caroline Wozniacki advanced in straight sets and second seed Jelena Jankovic was upset in the quarter-finals of the WTA Family Circle Cup on Friday.
Wozniacki reached the semi-finals with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Russia’s Nadia Petrova, while Daniela Hantuchova rallied to beat Jankovic 1-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Wozniacki will face seventh-seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva, a 7-5, 6-2 winner over Melanie Oudin of the US.
“I feel like I’m playing very well,” said the second-ranked Wozniacki, who won last week at Ponte Verde Beach, Florida. “I’m very confident and I’ve got some good results with my play.”
Jankovic won the first three games of the opening set en route to 6-1, but then she fell apart, losing the first four games of the second set.
“I played really well in the first set and I played really aggressive, but then I just stopped and I especially had trouble hitting my backhand,” Jankovic said.
It marks the first time in three years that Hantuchova has beaten a top 10 ranked player.
“Definitely, I felt very good on the court today, even though the first set was not easy,” Hantuchova said.
Slovakian Hantuchova said her strategy changed in the second set.
“I tried to put a little more on the ball, move her a little more around and stay more aggressive, and that made the difference,” Hantuchova said.
Hantuchova next faces Australia’s Samantha Stosur, who beat Peng Shuai of China 6-4, 6-1.
Stosur trailed 3-4 in the first set against the unseeded Peng.
“I got that break down, and on that change of ends I thought I had to step it up a gear and not play so many straight shots through the middle, and give her a chance to hit it,” Stosur said.
■BARCELONA LADIES
AP, BARCELONA, SPAIN
Defending champion Roberta Vinci beat Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania on Friday to line up an all-Italian final against top-seeded Francesca Schiavone in the Barcelona Ladies Open.
Vinci rallied to take the match 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 6-2, while Schiavone cruised to a straight sets win against Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan, 6-1, 6-2.
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