
Defending champion Rafael Nadal powered into the Monte Carlo Masters quarter-finals with a 6-0 6-1 victory over unseeded Michael Berrer of Germany.
World number 51 Berrer, who reached the final in Zagreb earlier this year, won only five points in the opening set.
He won 18 in total and there were huge cheers when he claimed his only game, but Nadal's forehand winner down the line sealed the match in 54 minutes.
Fourth seed Marin Cilic was beaten 6-4 6-4 by Spaniard Albert Montanes.
Nadal, winner of the last five Monte Carlo titles, also dropped only one game in his opening match against Dutch qualifier Thiemo De Bakker, and the clay-court supremo next faces fellow Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero, who beat fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-1 3-6 7-5.
"Juan Carlos is a player who has won more matches this year on clay and he is coming with big confidence," said Nadal. "It is going to be really difficult."
Second seed Nadal was on course for his first professional 'double-bagel' 6-0 6-0 success but sent a backhand wide at 30-40 in the sixth game of the second set.
It did not delay him long, however, as he extended his winning streak in the competition to 29 matches.
"I played better than yesterday because I played higher, I played close to the lines, and my feeling is that I had more control on the ball than yesterday," said Nadal.
"Good backhands. Very good forehands down the line." BBC Online.
No comments:
Post a Comment