By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Rafael Nadal swept Aljaz Bedene, 6-3, 6-3, to set up a Monte-Carlo match with 12th-seeded Dominic Thiem.
Photo credit: Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters/Getty
Dashing left, Rafael Nadal was sliding near the doubles alley when he drilled a dipping forehand winner down the line celebrating the exclamation point with a firm "Vamos!"
Nadal rode fast feet and dipping topspin forehand down the line to dismiss Aljaz Bedene, 6-3, 6-3, and roll into the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters round of 16.
Watch: Nadal's Mad Footie Skills
The win launches Nadal into a much-anticipated rematch with Dominic Thiem, who rallied for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 triumph over Japanese qualifier Taro Daniel.
The 22-year-old Austrian edged Nadal, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (4), in the Buenos Aires semifinals earlier this season.
This is the fifth time since 2005 Nadal arrived in the principality without winning a title on the season. Four of the five previous times, Nadal turned the Monte-Carlo Country Club into a revival ground taking the title.
The eight-time champion, who benefited from his opening-round doubles match with Fernando Verdasco, looked at home winning eight of his first nine service points.
In his first meeting with Bedene, Nadal broke at 30 for a 3-1 lead.
There were several positives to this match for the King of Clay: Nadal commanded the center of the court, he was quick to run around his backhand and fire his forehand down the line with ambition and he punished his opponent's second serve winning 15 of 23 second-serve points.
Still, it wasn't an immaculate performance as Nadal sometimes inexplicably slapped shots in the net, nearly squandered a double-break lead and hit some loopy drop shots.
Working the corners with his forehand to test his opponent's legs, Nadal broke at love for 5-1 when Bedene spit up a double fault off the tape. By then, Nadal had breezed through 16 of the last 21 points building a seemingly rock solid double-break lead.
Little has come easy for the fifth-seeded Spaniard this season and he created complications for himself trying to close.
Exploiting a cluster of three forehand errors from the left-hander, Bedene broke. He backed up the break at 15 for 3-5.
When Nadal netted a backhand down the line, Bedene had a break point in the ninth game to get back on serve. The 60th-ranked Briton did not do enough with a second-serve return, Nadal got away with a tame drop shot and dodged the threat.
Thumping his first ace down the T, Nadal snatched the opening set. He tormented Bedene's second serve, winning 71 percent of points played on that delivery.
Empowered, Nadal opened the second set curling a forehand winner down the line to break.
Consistency sometimes eluded Nadal in the space of a single game. A fine stretched forehand volley was followed by a double fault. Nadal fought off break point, eventually holding for 3-1.
Cumulative pressure from the eight-time champion caused Bedene to crack again. His third double fault gave Nadal the double-break and a 5-2 advantage.
That flashy running forehand down the line in the final game helped him close in 79 minutes. Nadal is now 54-4 in Monte Carlo though he will have to play more consistent match against the dangerous Thiem.
Qualifier Damir Dzumhur, who upset Nadal in Miami last month, scored his second Top 10 win today defeating Tomas Berdych, 6-4, 6-7 (1), 6-3, in two hours, 27 minutes.
The 99th-ranked Dzumhur saved eight of nine break points, including a break point serving for the match when a tight Berdych bungled a volley. Dzumhur, who crunched a backhand winner down the line to end it, will meet either 10th-seeded Milos Raonic or Pablo Cuevas next.
Reigning Roland Garros champion Stan Wawrinka converted three of 13 break-point chances defeating Philipp Kohlschreiber, 7-6 (2), 7-5. The 2014 champion raised his 2016 record to 16-4. The fourth-seeded Swiss will play 15th-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon for a quarterfinal spot.
Benoit Paire bounced Joao Sousa, 6-4, 6-3, and will play second-seeded Andy Murray next.