By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, April 17, 2016
Rafael Nadal beat back Gael Monfils, 7-5, 5-7, 6-0, to capture his ninth Monte Carlo crown and record-tying 28th Masters championship.
Photo credit: Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters/Getty
Sliding into one final forehand strike down the line, Rafael Nadal dropped to his knees and kissed the clay in front of the court-side clock.
Eleven years after his first Monte Carlo championship, Nadal turned back time with the powerful close of a man reclaiming a personal promised land.
More: Nadal Blasts Past Murray Into 10th Monte Carlo Final
Charging through the decisive set, Nadal beat back a spirited challenge from Gael Monfils, 7-5, 5-7, 6-0, to capture his ninth Monte Carlo crown and his 28th Masters championship.
The fifth-seeded Spaniard dispatched four dangerous Top 20 opponents in succession—Dominic Thiem, Stan Wawrinka, Andy Murray and Monfils—equaling world No. 1 Novak Djokovic for the all-time Masters title lead and solidifying his status as a Roland Garros contender in the process.
Contesting his 100th career final, Nadal roared through the final set winning 25 of the last 34 points draining the legs of the depleted Frenchman for his 68th career title. It is Nadal's first Masters title since he defeated Kei Nishikori in the 2014 Madrid final.
It is the first title of the season for Nadal, whose 48 career clay-court championships is second only to legendary lefthander Guillermo Vilas, who holds the all-time lead with 49 titles on dirt. Vilas presented the teenage Nadal with the first title trophy of his career way back in 2004 and now the 29-year-old Spaniard stands one title away from tying the Hall of Famer.
The first Frenchman to contest the Monte Carlo final since 2000 champion—and fellow high flying leaper Cedric Pioline— Monfils unleashed an adrenalized 106 mph forehand that drew gasps from the fans. He followed it up with a stinging backhand winner crosscourt to earn the first break point in the third game.
Both are outstanding defenders, but Nadal played closer to the baseline from the start. He corkscrewed a drop shot then moved it for a stab volley to save break point, eventually jolting a jagged inside-out forehand to hold for 2-1.
That test empowered Nadal, who transformed defense to offense following a backhand down the line to net where he broke for 3-1. Nadal broke himself in the following game with a double fault and a scattered backhand to put Monfils back on serve.
The 6'4" Frenchman is an elastic defender and explosive ball striker when he chooses. Facing a double break point deficit in the sixth game, Monfils unloaded four buzzing winners in a row, including a pair of aces down the T and a couple of ferocious forehands down the line to level.
One reason Nadal has dominated this rivalry winning 12 of their 14 meetings is he plays every point with more purpose and value. A careless backhand error from Monfils put him in a triple break point hold. When he scattered an inside-out forehand, Nadal snatched his second break for 5-3.
Credit Monfils for bringing plenty of passion during the first two sets. When Monfils ended an electric exchange plastering a forehand winner down the line he had a third break point. Nadal, who fought off 15 of 17 break points beating Thiem in the round of 16, felt the jitters and spit up a double fault off the tape handing back the break.
Monfils fought off a pair of set points, including a smooth backhand drop shot, but netted a shot to face a third set point. Unloading a barrage of baseline shots in a wild 33-shot rally, Nadal could not crack his opponent's defense. Monfils bent over trying to catch his breath after one hour of physical rallies. Sliding a clean backhand winner down the line, Monfils held strong through an arduous eight-minute game for 5-all.
Monte Carlo resident Caroline Wozniacki wearing a cast on her injured ankle, sat in Monfils' support box behind his coach, Mikael Tillstrom showing support.
The world No. 16 answered saving a fourth set point. Nadal would not be denied and when Monfils tripped a double fault off the tape, Nadal seized a demanding 74-minute set.
Undaunted, Monfils broke for a 2-1 second-set lead with a loud "Allez!" Digging out of a triple-break point hole, he backed up the break for 3-1.
A love break drew Nadal even at 3-all, but Monfils, who was so dangerous driving the ball down the line, did it again flattening out a forehand down the sideline and celebrating waving his arms toward the crowd exhorting fans to make more noise.
The celebration was short lived. Nadal broke back then stamped a love hold to take a 5-4 lead, one game from his 68th career championship.
In the 11th game, Nadal fought off three break points, but sailed a forehand on the fourth. Serving for the set, Monfils unleashed the surprise serve-and-volley to level the match. Monfils doubled Nadal's winner output (13 to 6) and won five of six points played on the Spaniard's second serve breaking serve three times in the 63-minute second set.
Exploiting a pair of double faults, Nadal broke a weary Monfils immediately for a 2-0 advantage in the decider. The eight-time champion won 12 of 16 points to open a 3-0 lead.
Bending over between points as if trying to catch his breath and revive his sagging legs, Monfils couldn't stay in step as a focused Nadal, who was firing his forehand with damaging intentions, dropped the hammer.
Eleven years after Nadal defeated Guillermo Coria to capture his first Masters crown in Monte Carlo, the King of Clay closed the show in two hours, 46 minutes.