Nadal cruises past qualifier
Source: Agencies |
April 15, 2010, Thursday
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JEU Nadal!
The familiar refrain at claycourt tournaments resounded time and again yesterday as Rafael Nadal demolished Dutch qualifier Thiemo De Bakker 6-1, 6-0 in the Monte Carlo Masters second round.
The world No. 3, gunning for an unprecedented sixth consecutive title in the glitzy principality, barely broke sweat in a 59-minute stroll on centre court.
Nadal, wearing white and blue check shorts, showed he was fighting fit as he sprinted towards the baseline before the first ball was hit and it made an impression on De Bakker. The Dutchamn was no match for the Spaniard's raw power and devilish accuracy and left the court looking dejected.
Although Nadal has not won an ATP tournament in 11 months, the Spaniard showed he would not be easy prey in Monte Carlo.
"He has been so dominant on this surface but everybody knew that the moment would come, sooner or later, where he would drop his level of performance a little bit and where some other players would have a chance to win," world No. 2 Novak Djokovic said earlier this week referring to Nadal's first defeat at the French Open last year.
"That's what has happened."
But not yesterday. Nadal raced to a 4-0 lead as the crowd cheered as Nadal produced exquisite lob shots.
The four-time French Open champion saw off three break points in the fourth game and never looked back. After firing a ball into the stands, where excited fans tried to catch it, a smiling Nadal made a ball boy's day by giving him his headband.
Top seed Djokovic also eased into the third round with a 6-2, 6-3 win over France's Florent Serra.
The world No. 2, could have been more efficient in front of a capacity centre court crowd enjoying the event's first cloudless day.
Serbian Djokovic will next face Stanislas Wawrinka, seeded 13th, for a place in the quarterfinals after the Swiss beat Latvia's Ernests Gulbis 6-1, 6-4.
Djokovic got off to a flying start, mixing his game with cunning drop shots to open a 4-0 lead.
Serra pulled a break back in a 12-minute fifth game as he started to play more aggressively. Djokovic then saw off another break point in the seventh game, following up on his serve to clinch the opening set.
The familiar refrain at claycourt tournaments resounded time and again yesterday as Rafael Nadal demolished Dutch qualifier Thiemo De Bakker 6-1, 6-0 in the Monte Carlo Masters second round.
The world No. 3, gunning for an unprecedented sixth consecutive title in the glitzy principality, barely broke sweat in a 59-minute stroll on centre court.
Nadal, wearing white and blue check shorts, showed he was fighting fit as he sprinted towards the baseline before the first ball was hit and it made an impression on De Bakker. The Dutchamn was no match for the Spaniard's raw power and devilish accuracy and left the court looking dejected.
Although Nadal has not won an ATP tournament in 11 months, the Spaniard showed he would not be easy prey in Monte Carlo.
"He has been so dominant on this surface but everybody knew that the moment would come, sooner or later, where he would drop his level of performance a little bit and where some other players would have a chance to win," world No. 2 Novak Djokovic said earlier this week referring to Nadal's first defeat at the French Open last year.
"That's what has happened."
But not yesterday. Nadal raced to a 4-0 lead as the crowd cheered as Nadal produced exquisite lob shots.
The four-time French Open champion saw off three break points in the fourth game and never looked back. After firing a ball into the stands, where excited fans tried to catch it, a smiling Nadal made a ball boy's day by giving him his headband.
Top seed Djokovic also eased into the third round with a 6-2, 6-3 win over France's Florent Serra.
The world No. 2, could have been more efficient in front of a capacity centre court crowd enjoying the event's first cloudless day.
Serbian Djokovic will next face Stanislas Wawrinka, seeded 13th, for a place in the quarterfinals after the Swiss beat Latvia's Ernests Gulbis 6-1, 6-4.
Djokovic got off to a flying start, mixing his game with cunning drop shots to open a 4-0 lead.
Serra pulled a break back in a 12-minute fifth game as he started to play more aggressively. Djokovic then saw off another break point in the seventh game, following up on his serve to clinch the opening set.
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