Easy wins for Nadal, Federer
Source: Agencies |
April 15, 2011, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
RAFAEL Nadal braved an usually chilly day on the sun-kissed Cote d'Azur to seal a place in the Monte Carlo Masters quarterfinals with a straightforward 6-2, 6-4 victory over Richard Gasquet yesterday.
While the crowd huddled for warmth deciding whether to cheer the six-time champion Nadal or local favorite Gasquet, the Spaniard had already broken the Frenchman in the first game as his sheer power again overawed an opponent.
The top seed, bidding to be the first man to win the same tournament seven times in a row as he warms up for next month's French Open, almost lost the next game but held serve thanks to a stunning backhand down the line and hardly looked back.
Gasquet did break for 4-4 in the second set to reveal some chinks in Nadal's armor, offering pretenders to his crown a glimmer of hope that the Spaniard is beatable on clay.
Second seed Roger Federer staked his claim with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Croatia's Marin Cilic after the sun had broken through the clouds at the Monte Carlo Country Club.
The Swiss barely got out of first gear but unleashed some superb winners and the result was never in doubt.
Fourth seed David Ferrer earlier navigated his way through the third round with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Canada's fast-rising Milos Raonic but Tomas Berdych hit the rocks when he was overwhelmed by Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic.
Raonic, who has rocketed from 156th in the rankings at the year's start to 34th, had no answer to the Spaniard's guile as Ferrer romped to victory.
Czech fifth seed Berdych was cast aside by rampant Ljubicic 6-4, 6-2 while Viktor Troicki also went through after Spain's Tommy Robredo retired hurt while leading 6-3, 1-2 with an apparent hamstring injury.
World No. 4 Andy Murray faces France's Gilles Simon hoping to build on his opening victory over Radek Stepanek - his first win in two and a half months.
While the crowd huddled for warmth deciding whether to cheer the six-time champion Nadal or local favorite Gasquet, the Spaniard had already broken the Frenchman in the first game as his sheer power again overawed an opponent.
The top seed, bidding to be the first man to win the same tournament seven times in a row as he warms up for next month's French Open, almost lost the next game but held serve thanks to a stunning backhand down the line and hardly looked back.
Gasquet did break for 4-4 in the second set to reveal some chinks in Nadal's armor, offering pretenders to his crown a glimmer of hope that the Spaniard is beatable on clay.
Second seed Roger Federer staked his claim with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Croatia's Marin Cilic after the sun had broken through the clouds at the Monte Carlo Country Club.
The Swiss barely got out of first gear but unleashed some superb winners and the result was never in doubt.
Fourth seed David Ferrer earlier navigated his way through the third round with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Canada's fast-rising Milos Raonic but Tomas Berdych hit the rocks when he was overwhelmed by Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic.
Raonic, who has rocketed from 156th in the rankings at the year's start to 34th, had no answer to the Spaniard's guile as Ferrer romped to victory.
Czech fifth seed Berdych was cast aside by rampant Ljubicic 6-4, 6-2 while Viktor Troicki also went through after Spain's Tommy Robredo retired hurt while leading 6-3, 1-2 with an apparent hamstring injury.
World No. 4 Andy Murray faces France's Gilles Simon hoping to build on his opening victory over Radek Stepanek - his first win in two and a half months.
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