Nadal cruises into semifinals
Source: Agencies |
April 23, 2011, Saturday
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RAFAEL Nadal cruised into the Barcelona Open semifinals after dispatching French threat Gael Monfils 6-2, 6-2 yesterday.
The top-ranked Spaniard needed only 75 minutes to get past the ninth-ranked Frenchman, who was broken four times.
"The truth is it was a pretty complete game," said Nadal, who is 28-1 at the clay court tournament, which he is bidding to win for a sixth time.
"I'm very happy since this is a matchup between two of the best players in the world and to win 6-2, 6-2 makes me very happy."
Nadal rallied from 0-40 down in the third game to convert his first break point with a forehand winner, with Monfils pushed deep behind the baseline.
Nadal extended his lead to 4-1 when Monfils netted a backhand to be broken again, and Nadal held serve to take the first set.
The second set was a near replica of the first as Nadal broke Monfils in the third and fifth games again.
Monfils hit wide to trail 1-2 and then sent a forehand long after a net exchange to be broken for the fourth time. Nadal held serve to close out the match and set up a match with either fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez or Ivan Dodig of Croatia next.
"This is super positive," said Nadal, the recent Monte Carlos Masters champion who improved to 30-0 on clay since 2010. "But there's still much to achieve."
Monte Carlo finalist David Ferrer was to play Jurgen Melzer later yesterday. The winner will play Juan Carlos Ferrero or Nicolas Almagro, who meet in an all-Spanish matchup.
In Stuttgart, Germany, top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki reeled off 10 straight games to rally for a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Andrea Petkovic on Thursday and a place in the semifinals of the Porsche Grand Prix.
Wozniacki was 1-4 down and one point away from falling 1-5 behind but broke Petkovic's serve to cut the deficit. She also saved four break points in the next game to come to within 4-3.
Petkovic could not hold serve in the next game either and the No. 1 from Denmark rolled on.
Comfortable
Wozniacki next goes up against Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, who beat Germany's Kristina Barrois 7-5, 6-3, as she looks for her fourth title of the year.
Wozniacki lost to Petkovic in Miami in three sets on a hard court but was more comfortable on the indoor clay in the Porsche Arena.
"I changed my tactics, it was a different surface and even my volleys were working great. From 1-4 on I played some great tennis," Wozniacki said. "Andrea is a great player and it was good to come back and win the first set. I got off to a great start in the second.
"I just kept on playing ... on a clay court you can always come back, no matter what the score is."
Petkovic was looking for a repeat of her week in Miami, when she beat both Wozniacki and former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic.
But after beating Jankovic again in the second round on Wednesday, Petkovic ran out of steam against Wozniacki.
In the other semifinal, last year's runner-up Sam Stosur will meet Julia Goerges, who edged fellow German Sabine Lisicki 6-4, 6-4. Goerges trailed 3-4 in the first set, then won five straight games to take control of the match.
"I knew she is a good player on a comeback. I had to play my game," Goerges said.
Germany now has a semifinalist in Stuttgart for the first time since Anke Huber in 1999.
The top-ranked Spaniard needed only 75 minutes to get past the ninth-ranked Frenchman, who was broken four times.
"The truth is it was a pretty complete game," said Nadal, who is 28-1 at the clay court tournament, which he is bidding to win for a sixth time.
"I'm very happy since this is a matchup between two of the best players in the world and to win 6-2, 6-2 makes me very happy."
Nadal rallied from 0-40 down in the third game to convert his first break point with a forehand winner, with Monfils pushed deep behind the baseline.
Nadal extended his lead to 4-1 when Monfils netted a backhand to be broken again, and Nadal held serve to take the first set.
The second set was a near replica of the first as Nadal broke Monfils in the third and fifth games again.
Monfils hit wide to trail 1-2 and then sent a forehand long after a net exchange to be broken for the fourth time. Nadal held serve to close out the match and set up a match with either fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez or Ivan Dodig of Croatia next.
"This is super positive," said Nadal, the recent Monte Carlos Masters champion who improved to 30-0 on clay since 2010. "But there's still much to achieve."
Monte Carlo finalist David Ferrer was to play Jurgen Melzer later yesterday. The winner will play Juan Carlos Ferrero or Nicolas Almagro, who meet in an all-Spanish matchup.
In Stuttgart, Germany, top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki reeled off 10 straight games to rally for a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Andrea Petkovic on Thursday and a place in the semifinals of the Porsche Grand Prix.
Wozniacki was 1-4 down and one point away from falling 1-5 behind but broke Petkovic's serve to cut the deficit. She also saved four break points in the next game to come to within 4-3.
Petkovic could not hold serve in the next game either and the No. 1 from Denmark rolled on.
Comfortable
Wozniacki next goes up against Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, who beat Germany's Kristina Barrois 7-5, 6-3, as she looks for her fourth title of the year.
Wozniacki lost to Petkovic in Miami in three sets on a hard court but was more comfortable on the indoor clay in the Porsche Arena.
"I changed my tactics, it was a different surface and even my volleys were working great. From 1-4 on I played some great tennis," Wozniacki said. "Andrea is a great player and it was good to come back and win the first set. I got off to a great start in the second.
"I just kept on playing ... on a clay court you can always come back, no matter what the score is."
Petkovic was looking for a repeat of her week in Miami, when she beat both Wozniacki and former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic.
But after beating Jankovic again in the second round on Wednesday, Petkovic ran out of steam against Wozniacki.
In the other semifinal, last year's runner-up Sam Stosur will meet Julia Goerges, who edged fellow German Sabine Lisicki 6-4, 6-4. Goerges trailed 3-4 in the first set, then won five straight games to take control of the match.
"I knew she is a good player on a comeback. I had to play my game," Goerges said.
Germany now has a semifinalist in Stuttgart for the first time since Anke Huber in 1999.
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