Rafael Nadal has won the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Monte Carlo for the eleventh time. The world number one defeated Kei Nishikori in two sets.
Untouchable, even on days when things aren’t going well: this was Rafael Nadal’s presentation on Sunday in the final of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Monte Carlo. Nadal defeated the Japanese Kei Nishikori 6:3 and 6:2 and won the title in the Principality for the eleventh time.
Nadal extended his series to 36 sets on ashes won en suite. Dominic Thiem was the last player to take a section from the Spaniard in the quarter-finals of Rome 2017, during which no player managed to win more than four games in a row.
After all: Nishikori defended himself for 56 minutes in the first set, before Nadal made the 6:3 clear with a forehand longline ball. The Japanese player had even got off to a better start and took the lead with a 2-1 break. Also because Rafael Nadal showed a higher dispersion than usual.
At the beginning of the second set, Nishikori fended off a break point, but two games later Nadal made a very delicate backhand return to the line. And also got himself the next service game of the Japanese. 4:1 Nishikori once again served his serve in the dry, after 1:33 hours the favourite served 15.
In the internal duel with Nishikori, Nadal, who will keep his lead in the world rankings, placed 10-2. There could be a reunion in the coming days: In Barcelona, Rafael Nadal and Kei Nishikori were drawn onto an early collision course at the ATP World Tour 500 tournament.
Nishikori has regained close contact with the extended world elite with his entry into the final: The Japanese makes a jump from number 36 to 22 on the ATP charts.