Rafael Nadal began the defence of his Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters title today, in a bid for a ninth consecutive title, with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Australia’s Marinko Matosevic.
On the anniversary of his first title at the Monte-Carlo Country Club in 2005, the Spaniard made an emphatic start, racing to a 4-0 lead. Matosevic fought back to give Nadal (and the spectators) a scare at the start of the second set, breaking for a 2-0 lead and holding two break points for 3-0, but the Spaniard regained control and claimed victory in just over an hour.
“I played well at the beginning with the right intensity, with no mistakes,” said Nadal. “I was trying to do the right things to find a good feeling on the ball, to find the right rhythm. I played to the right places, and that gave me confidence."
26-year-old Nadal is currently on a 15-match winning streak. Since his return in February from a seven-month injury lay-off he has finished runner-up in Vina del Mar (l. to Zeballos) and won three straight titles in Sao Paulo (d. Nalbandian), Acapulco (d. Ferrer) and Indian Wells (d. del Potro).
There was little good news for the remaining Spaniards in the draw, however. Nicolás Almagro, the Spanish number two in the absence of David Ferrer through injury, lost 6-4, 6-2 to Austria's Jürgen Melzer; Marcel Granollers fell to World No. 6 Tomas Berdych 7-5, 6-4, despite leading by a break at 5-4 in the first set, and being a break up in the second; Roberto Bautista was overcome in three tight sets by Florian Mayer 5-7, 6-4, 6-4; Albert Montañes was soundly beaten 6-1, 6-1 by Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka; Albert Ramos was beaten 6-3, 7-5 by Italy's Fabio Fognini; and the Spanish number two doubles pairing of Marc López and Marcel Granollers were beaten by their lower-ranked compatriots David Marrero and Fernando Verdasco 4-6, 6-2, 10-4.
Yesterday saw Verdasco go out of the singles tournament, beaten 7-5, 6-3 by Marinko Matosevic, who was today subsequently knocked out by Rafa Nadal; and Pablo Andujar was edged out by Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-2, 2-6, 7-6. On the opening day of the event, Valencia's Dani Gimeno-Traver was knocked out 6-4, 6-0 by an in-form Mikhail Youzhny, who pushed Novak Djokovic to three sets today.
