After back-to-back final defeats - to Youzhny in Madras and Davydenko in Miami - Rafael Nadal showed yesterday why he is rated as the world's best on his favourite clay-court surface with a 7-5, 7-5 victory against Roger Federer.

The two old rivals have now played each other fifteen times with nine victories for Nadal, of which four have been in the last four Monte Carlo finals.

Federer's six victories include his win in the final of the Hamburg Masters last year, and the world number one remains the only player to have beaten Nadal on clay for three years.

The Mallorcan's last defeat in Monte Carlo was in 2003, when, as a 16 year old, he was beaten in the third round by Guillermo Coria.

Only three other players have won the tournament three times - Ilie Nastase (71, 72, 73), Borg (77, 79, 80) and Muster (92, 95, 96) - though none had ever previously won four.

Nadal books semi-final berth
By: thinkSPAIN
Friday, April 25, 2008

Rafael Nadal beat compatriot David Ferrer 6-1, 7-5 in the quarter final of the Monte Carlo Masters earlier this evening to set up a semi-final clash against the man who beat him in the final of the Miami Masters the last time they met. His next opponent, Nikolay Davydenko, needed three sets to overcome fellow Russian, Igor Andreev (6-3, 4-6, 7-5).

In the other side of the draw, top seed Roger Federer fought back after losing the first set to David Nalbandian to win 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, and will now have to beat either Novak Djokovic or Sam Querrey to reach the final.

Nadal to meet Ferrer in Monte Carlo quarters
By: thinkSPAIN
Thursday, April 24, 2008

Rafael Nadal showed no mercy against compatriot Juan Carlos Ferrero in today's Monte Carlo Masters third round, cruising to a comfortable 6-4, 6-1 victory in a match lasting just an hour and three quarters.

The Mallorcan second seed, who is defending the title for the third year in a row, next faces Javea's David Ferrer, who beat Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic 6-4, 6-0 in the first match of the day.

There will be only one Spaniard in the semi-finals, however, as Murcia's Nicolás Almagro has been beaten 7-5, 4-6, 4-6 by Russia's Igor Andreev.
 
Four Spaniards through to Monte Carlo third round
By: thinkSPAIN
Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Rafael Nadal breezed past Croatia's Mario Ancic 6-0, 6-3, to join compatriots Juan Carlos Ferrero, David Ferrer and Nicolás Almagro in the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters. The holder will next face Ferrero, who beat Finland's Jarkko Nieminen 6-3, 6-3.

Ferrer, who beat Almagro to win the Valencian Open last weekend, overcame Russia's Marat Safin 6-2, 6-3 and next faces Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic while Alamgro's opponent, Juan Mónaco, had to retire with the scores on 6-2, 3-0 to set up a third round clash for the Murcian against Russia's Igor Andreev.

A fifth Spaniard, Rubén Ramírez Hidalgo (137th in the ATP rankings), gave world number one Roger Federer a run for his money, but lost 1-6, 6-3, 6-7.