2
Rafael Nadal Aiming for Ninth Monte Carlo Title (Photo Essay)
45 Comments · Posted by Scoop Malinowski in Articles, Scoop
Photos and Text By Henk Abbink
After the Sony Open in Key Biscayne, it’s now clay time! All eyes are on the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters. Held from 13th-21st April at the beautiful Monte Carlo Country Club, it’s one of Rafa’s and your Tennis-Prose.com team’s favorite tournament venues. What’s not to like about Monte Carlo, its boulevards and the courts’ location above the Cote d’Azur with magnificent views of the picturesque coastline.
Despite an April Fool’s hoax claiming Rafa had pulled out of Monte Carlo, the defending champ will be one of the eight top ten players competing. The only top ten players not on the entry list are Roger Federer and Juan Martin del Potro.
45 of the world’s top 52 players were directly admitted to the main draw. 4 wild cards and 7 qualifiers will complete the 56 player field at the tournament’s 107th edition. Anyone insinuating the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters to be a ‘lesser Masters’ tournament, due to its non-obligatory ATP status, can stop their claims right here. This is a fantastic event.
The first wild card was granted to the popular and colorful Frenchman Gael Monfils. Also, the Monte Carlo organization seems confident it can persuade Roger to make a last-minute participation decision and will hold one wild card for the Swiss until the very last moment.
Tennis-Prose.com was on site in 2011 when Rafa won a record seventh straight title, beating this year’s Sony Open finalist David Ferrer 6-4, 7-5 in an all-Spanish final. The Bryan Brothers won the doubles that year. Last year Rafa decisively defeated Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-1 for his astonishing eighth straight title – and Mike & Bob Bryan won their 3rd title (2007, 2011, 2012 – photo below).
Rafa has been simply spectacular since his much-awaited return to tennis earlier this year in Chile after more than a seven month absence. This season, Nadal has reached four straight finals, winning the last three (Buenos Aires, Acapulco and Indian Wells). Will he make it to a fifth straight final, a fourth consecutive 2013 title and a ninth straight Monte Carlo final and title? Or will Novak, Andy Murray, Richard Gasquet or Tomas Berdych spoil the Spanish party? And what about Milos Raonic?
We will know all the answers on Sunday afternoon the 21st April!
Scoop Malinowski · April 2, 2013 at 10:54 am
Some awesome photography here Henk, the airborne chest thump is maybe the best shot I’ve ever seen of the Bryans doing their signature celebration. Also love the photo of the bay and the simple Monte Carlo embedded in the clay. Also Nadal seems to be looking right into your lens as he jaws the prize. Fantastic photos, fantastic event, always enjoy to watch this event on TV, hopefully live in person in the near future. It’s just incrdible that Nadal is going for NINE-PEAT. I will ask Greg Sharko if any player has ever won an event so many times consecutively.
Henk · April 2, 2013 at 11:34 am
Thanks Scoop!
You don’t have to ask Greg. Rafa’s 7th consecutive win in 2011 was a record for any ATP tournament.
Scoop Malinowski · April 2, 2013 at 11:55 am
Henk; Who had six consecutive titles besides William Renshaw at Wimbledon? Any modern era six in a row? This is another stunning record of dominance for Nadal’s legacy which exceeds Federer.
Henk · April 2, 2013 at 12:28 pm
Scoop, Renshaw’s wins are all from Wimbledon’s amateur period. No modern era six in a row in any tournament. Bjorn Borg and Roger Federer share the five consecutive win record at Wimbledon. Roger and Pete Sampras share the seven overall record there and Bjorn and Rafa share the seven overall at Roland Garros. All incredible achievements. However yes, Rafa’s seven-in-a-row is unheard of and he even more firmly established his legacy with last year’s eighth consecutive win in Monte Carlo and going for a ninth in two weeks! Another stunning record of dominance is Nadal’s record 22nd Masters win in Indian Wells. His very first Masters win came at the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters in his break-through year 2005.
Steve · April 2, 2013 at 1:06 pm
Monte Carlo is just great. Equal but totally different from Indian Wells. It certainly feels like Nadal is the de facto #1.
Scoop Malinowski · April 2, 2013 at 1:34 pm
Henk I recall Rafa beating Coria in 2005 final I believe, a marathon of a five setter, still have this epic on tape, this was when IMO Rafa unofficially took the King of Clay Throne from Coria. After this match we knew Roland Garros would be Rafa’s. Coria lost his aura of invincibility on clay during this match and Nadal still has it now eight years later. For one man to win the same tournament eight or even nine times is just beyond remarkable, Sampras, Agassi, Federer, Laver, Borg, McEnroe, Tilden, Kramer, Graf, Navratilova never came close to achieving this feat. It would be cool to see Rafa win it this year and next for 10, which is looking mighty probable at this point.
Scoop Malinowski · April 2, 2013 at 1:36 pm
But he’s #5 right now, which does seem quite strange. For the last five tournaments on the ATP calendar Nadal is absolutely #1 and if he keeps it up he has a good shot to be #1 at year’s end.
Henk · April 2, 2013 at 2:38 pm
Absolutely Scoop! And I will be right there, courtside, to report back to our readers.
A bit of history:
Yes, he beat Coria in 2005 for his very first Masters title at the tender age of 18, coming from a Finals appearance at Key Biscayne (lost in five to Roger). Shortly after, in May, another epic final in Rome again beating Coria in a fifth set tie break (8-6)winning his 2nd Masters, his first of 6 total in Rome (so far!). Earlier that year he won the Brazil Open and Acapulco. He started the year 2005 as a top 50 player and ended that year as World No. 2! I was courtside during most of his wins and also when he beat Roger in that year’s Roland Garros Semis on his 19th Birthday. He’s one of the players I have closely followed since his first finals appearance as 12 year old at Europe’s most prestigious junior tournament “Les Petis As” (Little Aces)- considered junior world championships. He was beaten in 3 sets by none other than Richard Gasquet in the 1999 final but went on to win the U14 as a 13 year old the year after. Richard was the youngest player ever to qualify for a Masters (Monte Carlo)at age 15-something and the youngest ever to win a first round Masters match. A lot has happened since and Rafa and Richard have been friends ever since.
Tom van Doren · April 2, 2013 at 4:09 pm
Great article from Henk Abbink
I know I will read a lot more story’s from Henk.
Eventhough my favorite tennis player is Roger Federrer I have great respect for Rafa Nadal who will win the Monte Carlo tournament for the ninth time for sure, so you don’t have to wait for the 21st, the answer is Rafa Nadal.
Henk · April 2, 2013 at 4:11 pm
Juan Martin del Potro got a wild card today. So now nine of the world’s top ten players will be there. Juan Martin wasn’t scheduled to return to clay until Estoril, so that’s good news both for tennis and his fans. It’ll give him more time to get ready for Roland Garros to be a force to be reckoned with.
Scoop Malinowski · April 2, 2013 at 7:02 pm
Those were classic clay court battles Henk, I think those losses to Nadal really tormented Coria because he knew he had his chance to win Roland Garros vs. Gaudio but he let it slip out of his grasp. Nadal’s sudden emergence just crushed Coria. I remember Gasquet’s shock upset of Federer in Monte Carlo. What a way to make a debut. I remember seeing Nadal at the US Open the first time, the match vs. El Aynouai on grandstand, the first set tiebreak Nadal stirred up hysteria out there. You just knew nothing was going to stop him once he got experience. I interviewed him too just outside the locker room, super nice kid, so polite and kind, despite his trouble with English he actually did a Biofile with me. Then I saw him play the fifth match vs. Czech Rep vs. Stepanek in Davis Cup. Spain actually put him in that match and he came through too, beating Step in 3 tough sets to send Spain to the final or SF. Have this on tape, just amazing how focused and tough he was at just 17 or 18 to beat Step on an indoor court in Czech Rep. Amazing that Spain put him in that pressure situation, but they knew he was up to the task.
Scoop Malinowski · April 2, 2013 at 7:05 pm
Wonder what persuaded Del Potro to go to Monte Carlo. This will be only his second appearance in Monte Carlo, he’s skipped it every time except for 09 when he made second round.
Steve · April 2, 2013 at 8:18 pm
Scoop, that Davis Cup match is probably the highlight of Nadal’s book. It was a huge moment for him.
It would have been nice to see Guga and Nadal play on clay.
Scoop Malinowski · April 3, 2013 at 7:58 am
Steve I have watched that match twice, it’s unreal how tough and smart Nadal played that match, Step was obsessed to win that too but the young boy Nadal was the master.
tootsie · April 3, 2013 at 9:18 am
“Bjorn and Rafa share the seven overall at Roland Garros.”
Actually Rafa made HIS7ORY last year with his seventh French Open. Borg ‘only’ has six.
Rafa’s record on clay is really quite stupendous – 8 (consecutive) at Monte Carlo, 7 at Barcelona, 6 in Rome and 7 at Roland Garros. Fingers, toes, legs, arms, eyes, everything crossed that he can add to those amazing totals this year. 🙂
Scoop Malinowski · April 3, 2013 at 10:02 am
Tootsie, based on the spectacular form Rafa showed in IW and the two clay titles he won this year, it’s very possible if not probable that Nadal is once again going to dominate the European clay season. I think Djokovic is the only one that can stop him but Djokovic needs to be at his very best to do it and he’s not nearly in that form at the moment.
Henk · April 3, 2013 at 12:27 pm
Tootsie, you’re absolutely right! and I know as I used the HIS7ORY on my FB status that day! When I wrote the reply I did have Bjorn with 6 and Rafa with 7 but did something wrong when I copy/pasted it to this thread!… Thanks for your enthusiasm and postive input
Scoop Malinowski · April 3, 2013 at 12:58 pm
THis year will be HISTOR9 ? )
Next will be HIXTORY
Steve · April 3, 2013 at 1:33 pm
Will Zeballos be in Rafa’s side of the draw???
Scoop Malinowski · April 3, 2013 at 2:16 pm
If he is he’s going home with a straight set loss.
Henk · April 3, 2013 at 3:12 pm
Steve: I don’t really think it matters. In that Chile final Zeballos played his heart out against a just returning-from-absence, still ‘rusty’, nervous/not yet confident Rafa.
Scoop: your HIXTORY idea may well become a fact 🙂
Tootsie and Scoop: Coming to think of Barcelona, one could consider Rafa actually won that tournament seven consecutive times too. He won five in a row (2005-2009) and then 2011-2012. Didn’t win it in 2010 as he decided not to play, wanting to go for the Clay Slam that year…and (talking about dominance) became the very first and only player to win Monte Carlo, Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros in the same year!
Steve · April 3, 2013 at 5:05 pm
Henk I’m all for acknowledging Nadal is the best on clay and am a fan but let’s not discount the depth of talent in the field. You just never know. Rosol and Zeballos happened. It could happen again.
Scoop Malinowski · April 3, 2013 at 9:07 pm
Gulbis almost got Rafa in IW too, if he covers the line on the drop shot which Rafa scooped up and two handed down the line for a winner, Gulbis would have had double MP on Rafa. Only a few certain players can Rosol Nadal – Soderling, Gulbis, Del Potro, Djokovic, maybe Murray, I doubt Rosol or Zeballos will ever come close to beating Rafa again.
Steve · April 4, 2013 at 3:25 am
Call me nuts but I think Dolgo can do it in best of 3. I mean it’s possible but unlikely.
Scoop Malinowski · April 4, 2013 at 9:20 am
Dolgo might have turned his career corner peak, his game is the exact same as it was when he made his breakthrough, unless he can add some new wrinkles I don’t see him beating any of the top five or Delpo or Berd.
Steve · April 4, 2013 at 11:07 am
Is Dolgo hunting for a coach or sticking with his Dad for now? I wonder if he applied Readers’ advices.
Scoop Malinowski · April 4, 2013 at 11:47 am
He parted with Reader late last year and reunited with his father. You have to wonder why he parted with his father in the first place to join with Reader. Now back with dad – maybe it will work this time? Maybe not. So far not so good.
Harold · April 4, 2013 at 1:19 pm
As much as I like watching Dolgo play and root for him, the shot making in the last 3 sets against Levine last Open was insane.
Just don’t think he has the mental makeup to last through 2 weeks of 5 set matches…The quarters of Majors would be a home run for him as far as I’m concerned
Henk · April 4, 2013 at 1:41 pm
Steve: I fully agree with you on the depth of the field. As Roger, Novak and Rafa have said in interviews: “any of the top players can be upset by any player on any given day”. However, you only brought up the question: “Will Zeballos be in Rafa’s side of the draw???”. That’s why I responed it wouldn’t matter. In Chile Hector did what a lot of players forget to do when they play top players on center court: Knowing he had nothing to lose against the player he called ‘God’, he had a blast. Fully enjoying himself and the limelight, he found his very best shots as he wasn’t thinking of winning but simply giving his very best. It worked out and he fully deserved the win. At the same time Hector also realized and admitted that if anyone was going to beat Rafa on clay, that was the time: “The moment he starts winning more matches, gaining his usual confidence, it will be impossible to beat him”.
Scoop, if Rafa has an off day on clay and assuming the others play their best tennis that day, I also see Roger in the mix you mention. IMO Rafa (on clay) at 80% will still beat almost anyone except for Djokovic (assuming Novak plays at at least 90%). His one loss vs Soderling on clay (Roland Garros) was more than an off day. He wasn’t playing well, had emotional stress because of his parents’ divorce plus tendonitis problems since the tournament before (Madrid). Gulbis is 0-5 vs Rafa of which 3 on hard. He has managed to take a set (on hard, clay and grass) in 4 of their meetings but under normal conditions on clay, as David Ferrer said, with Rafa and his opponents playing at 100%: “Rafa is better”.
Steve · April 4, 2013 at 1:51 pm
I know people thought it was impossible for Rosol to beat Nadal too yet it happened. As you know Zeballos is lefty. Lefties hate playing other lefties. Their go-to hitting patterns don’t work quite the same way.
At the end of the day a player like Davydenko, who has a winning record against Rafa, could score an upset.
Though I’m a Rafa fan isn’t 7 or 8 MC victories enough? 🙂 Would be also nice to have some new champions.
Henk · April 4, 2013 at 2:14 pm
Steve, are you really a Rafa fan… 😉 You keep on bringing up how others can beat him…just kidding.
I am a tennis fan first. Then there are a number of players that I have followed since their junior years and juniors that I am following now.
The thread is about an (80-100%)Rafa on clay. Rosols’ upset was on grass and Davydenko, despite his winnig record (6-5), has never beaten Rafa on clay. As a matter of fact at their latest encounter (Madrid last year, Rafa’s least-liked tournament and on hardcourt-like blue clay, playing at 70%)he sent Nikolay home 6-2, 6-2.
Scoop Malinowski · April 4, 2013 at 2:32 pm
Good assessment Harold, like Gimelstob likes to say, Dolgo has probably maximized his talent, to even achieve what he has, two ATP titles, top 15 ranking, is fantastic for a guy who came out of nowhere basically. A lot of lesser players have shown the flashes of brilliance that Dolgo has – particularly at the US Open vs. Djokovic in that record long tiebreak. We can dream how good he can be if he plays his best tennis every set of every match but for a guy like Dolgo, with his high risk game, that’s not realistic.
Scoop Malinowski · April 4, 2013 at 2:39 pm
Henk, I’ve about given up on Roger ever beating Rafa again in a major, especially after seeing their IW match. Agree that Rafa’s mind was distracted vs. Soderling, he’s human. As for Rosol, what he did was about a once a century kind of thing. I can’t see a low ranked guy playing lights out tennis like Rosol did against Rafa, even if the roof is closed at Wimbledon, ever again. That upset ranks with USA hockey vs. Russian in Lake Placid 1980 IMO.
Steve · April 4, 2013 at 3:16 pm
Well, Henk, sadly Wimby plays so slowly nowadays it might as well be clay. In fact all the surfaces seem to play too similarly (out side of indoors).
Rosol would have beaten him on any surface that day. It was just his day. He was too good.
Henk · April 4, 2013 at 3:44 pm
Steve, Harold, Scoop: Dolgopolov is one of those juniors that I followed from when I first saw him during junior Roland Garros. I wouldn’t say this super-talented kid came from nowhere, winning his first Challenger at age 17. He does, unfortunately, suffer from a rare medical (fatigue causing blood/liver)condition. Intercontinental travel worsens/affects his well-being and needs special treatments. This may explain the ups and downs.
Henk · April 4, 2013 at 3:57 pm
Steve, we’re comparing apples and oranges. Yes, Rosol played at a once-in-a-lifetime level, but I’m at a loss with regard to what point you’re trying to make. Once again: Any top player can be upset on any given day and I’m referring to an (80-100%) Rafa on clay. So even if you want to claim Wimbledon plays like clay (now I’m sure you’re not a Rafa fan as that’s what all non-Rafa fans claim and probably consider IW to be a disguised clay court too), it wasn’t Rafa’s day and, as you may recall, he disappeared from the ATP circuit for more than 7 months right after that loss due to his knees.
Steve · April 4, 2013 at 4:59 pm
Henk FYI, Dolgo’s condition has been covered on this blog before this is why I said he has a chance in a best of three not best of five.
Henk, you’re mistaken, I’m a big Rafa fan. I bought his book the day it came out and read it right away. He’s probably my 5th fav. player all time. It’s logic that tells me the courts are too similar nowadays as opposed to Borg’s or even Sampras’ era –it’s just a fact.
As far as why Rafa disappeared that’s been a crazy issue on this very blog. Some inferring a silent ban which I 100% disagree with. I do think Rosol shocked him but he didn’t seem to be favoring his knee that particular match. He may have tweaked it in practice.
tootsie · April 5, 2013 at 5:56 am
Oh come on Steve. A tweak in practice doesn’t cause a player to miss seven months at the height of his career. I don’t understand why it’s so hard for some people to accept that Rafa’s knee was bad. They seem to have no trouble believing Roger didn’t play up to par in IW because his back was bothering him but when it comes to Rafa, there are all sorts of nutty conspiracies.
Those of us who follow Rafa very closely, never miss watching one of his matches, could tell even in Halle that he wasn’t moving well. I was live chatting with other Rafa fans watching his first match against Bellucci and we were bemoaning how much trouble he was having moving as well as he normally does and when some pictures came out the next day showing injection marks in his knee, we knew he was in big trouble even before the Rosol match. I’m not taking anything away from Rosol who, like Zeballos, played the match of his life but facts are facts and Rafa wasn’t 100% in that match.
As for the upcoming clay season, if his knee is ok, Rafa is going to equal or better his record from last year. He is just that good.
Steve · April 5, 2013 at 7:44 am
I felt like you did but a blogger here made an excellent case that his knee looked solid. I re-watched the Rosol match and, in fact, it did look solid. Rosol just blasted all is shots and they went in. Too good.
At the end of the OP Scoop asks will someone stop Rafa. It is doubtful but that’s what I was speaking too. If Rosol can do it so can others. Like I said, he’s my 5th fav. player all time but I also like change and pray him Djoker don’t play too many more finals. Or Djoker & Murray –these games of Pong would kill the sport.
Scoop Malinowski · April 5, 2013 at 8:56 am
I played on the courts in Miami for the media tournament and they were very slow, the balls got scuffed up in just a set, the black print on the balls was totally erased after a set. They were calling it “purple clay.”
Scoop Malinowski · April 5, 2013 at 8:58 am
Henk you know your junior tennis, I never heard of or saw Dolgo as a junior, and I get the junior ITF media guide every year. It did take him a few years to make his name as a pro. Very few players skip the junior route, I think Kohlschreiber is one of the few.
Harold · April 5, 2013 at 10:55 am
I don’t follow Juniors as much as I used to in the 80’s and 90’s. Seems like there were more breakout stars back then. Guys that came on the scene, turning pro, and fighting for, or winning majors. Number 1 in Juniors meant something. Who is the last number 1 that got into the top 10? Monfils?
Find it hard to believe that Dolgo, the son of a guy who coached at the top level, was truly unknown, especially in Europe. His game might not have matured with all the shot choices running through his head at 90 miles an hour, or maybe, and this would suck for him, the better players have figured out his game. He might be like one of those pitchers, looks great first time through the batting order, then the 2nd and 3rd time up, they pound
Scoop Malinowski · April 5, 2013 at 11:13 am
Dolgo uses the slice forehand too much, especially on the return. He’s quick, he should be able to get around to it without having to use the slice so much. This shot of his is an easy ball for ATp players to handle. But his set with Djokovic at the US Open was one of the best of that year, no one who was there will forget it. He really had Djokovic confused and helpless at times – and don’t forget, that was Djokovic at his very best that year.
Henk · April 5, 2013 at 12:18 pm
Tootsie, I’m with you man!
Scoop, Rafa skipped the junior tour almost entirely too. He only came out for the prestigious “Les Petits As”, considered the junior world championships. Did well in the U14 as a 12 yr old(lost to a bigger/stronger Gasquet) and won as a 13 year old. He only played 2 junior ITF’s. His first was Wimbledon where, as a 16 yr old, he made it to the U18 semis!! As you know, the year after he beat Roger in Key Biscyane as a 17 yr old and also was the youngest (since Becker) to reach the 3rd round at Wimbledon that same year, while his peers were playing the junior event
With regard to Dolgo and as this started about Rafa, maybe worth mentioning that Rafa has always spoken very highly of this super talent. If Dolgo didn’t need the hospital treatments in between tournaments, i think he would be even more of a force to be reckoned with (i mean he’s no. 22 now with a serious medical condition). Rafa: “He’s a special player. He can beat you. He gives you only small chances. You never know what to expect”.
Scoop Malinowski · April 5, 2013 at 6:24 pm
Rafa always speaks highly of every opponent, can’t think of any time he disrespected any opponent Henk. Dolgopolov has overachieved, when he first came on the scene, no pundit spoke about him as a top 15 player (he got to 13) or even a top 25 guy. He was just one of those guys out there, bunched in with Stakhovsky and Marchenko, but he emerged from the pack and distinguished himself. Remember seeing him beat Clement and Gonzo at French and losing to Tsonga in five at Wimb in 2010, then he got into the top 50 at the end of the year. You knew from that Tsonga match he was something special.