Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer & the Dirt Debates: What Monte Carlo Means

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at Internationaled.org

Published: April 17, 2011

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There is, arguably, no better parallel in professional tennis than the picturesque, azure Monaco seaside and the hustling and grinding that occurs on the red clay at the Monte Carlo Masters. Both equally striking, equally beautiful—one enveloped in a shroud of calm, the other a whirlwind of furious activity. And just as the brilliance of the Mediterranean Sea will never change, seemingly neither will the champion of Monaco's premier tennis tournament. For the seventh year running, Rafael Nadal captured the Monte Carlo crown—asserting himself, once again, as the guy to beat on the warpath to Roland Garros. Before we write off the entire clay season in Nadal's name, however, I thought it interesting to take a deeper look at the implications this week's tourney has for the next couple months.  

Rafael Nadal

It's unfathomable to think the man's only been dominating this surface for six years—doesn't it feel like 60? Until this week, the '11 season had Novak Djokovic's ear-to-ear smile plastered all over it. But even the Serb is set to join his counterparts in entering Rafa's terre battue danger zone—where points don't end, aces get returned and winners are more scarce than a Robin Soderling smile.

It's easy to quote the stats that accompanied the Mallorcan's latest clay court feat: an unprecedented seventh straight Monte Carlo crown, a smashing 19th Masters trophy, a 44th title overall. But his road to seventh heaven was far from routine. A three-hour struggle against Andy Murray in the penultimate round didn't do Nadal any favors against Ferrer in the finals, where he squeaked out a tight 6-4, 7-5 win.

And while I never got the sense while watching the two countrymen do battle that Ferrer was even close to winning one of those sets, Nadal admitted afterward to feeling tired and tight—no wonder, considering he's been title-less since October and just lost two very close Masters final in a...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Tennis

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