Nadal seals 10th Monte Carlo title
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RAFAEL Nadal claimed a record-extending 10th Monte Carlo Masters title as he geared up for his beloved French Open with a 6-1, 6-3 victory against fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas yesterday.
The fourth seed, who is also targeting a 10th Roland Garros trophy this year, was always in command as he claimed his first ATP title since triumphing in Barcelona a year ago. He had lost his previous three finals this year — two to Roger Federer.
Nadal faced little opposition on his way to becoming the first player to win 10 tournaments at the same venue in the Open era, and the first to reach 50 on clay. He was previously level on clay titles with Argentine Guillermo Vilas.
The only final Nadal has lost at Monte Carlo was to Novak Djokovic in 2013.
The 14-time grand slam champion had won his two previous encounters against Ramos-Vinolas and the 15th seed failed to snap that run yesterday.
“It has been an amazing week on one of the most important events on the tour. I played well here, which helps me a lot to start the claycourt season with confidence,” said Nadal.
Nadal wasted three break points in the second game as Ramos-Vinolas levelled for 1-1, only for the claycourt king to win the next five games to bag the opening set.
With Nadal’s topspin working with devastating effect, Ramos-Vinolas struggled to stay close to his baseline.
The Mallorcan broke for 3-2 in the second set when Ramos-Vinolas sent a backhand long and from then on Nadal was unstoppable. Ramos-Vinolas ended his first Masters final with a double fault that handed Nadal his 70th ATP title on the 3rd match point.
In Minsk, Belarus surprised a higher-rated Swiss team to reach its first-ever Fed Cup final yesterday.
No. 125-ranked Aryna Sabalenka gave the Belarusians an unassailable 3-1 lead in the best-of-five match as she beat Viktorija Golubic 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.
That sets up a final against either the Czech Republic or the US in November.
Earlier world No. 96-ranked Aliaksandra Sasnovich beating Timea Bascinszky 6-2, 7-6 (2) in day’s first rubber.
Meanwhile, Ilie Nastase, the captain of Romania’s Fed Cup team, has been provisionally suspended from the competition for abusing players and the umpire during the playoff match against Britain.
The International Tennis Federation said yesterday that Nastase “may not participate in the Fed Cup in any capacity”.
The 70-year-old Nastase was heard hurling expletives at British player Johanna Konta, Britain captain Anne Keothavong and the umpire during Konta’s match against Romania’s Sorana Cirstea on Saturday. Nastase was sent off the court by referee Andreas Egli and, after taking a seat in the stands, was then sent back to the locker room.
Nastase, a former world No. 1 in the 1970s, also publicly hurled insults at a British journalist in Constanta on Saturday, a day after apparently making racially offensive comments about Serena Williams’ pregnancy.
Romania won the tie 3-1.
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