DOMINANT NADAL RETURNS IN STYLE AT MONTE CARLO
▶ World No 1 has emphatic win over Bedene as Djokovic and Nishikori also triumph
World No 1 Rafael Nadal started his bid for an 11th Monte Carlo Masters title with a comfortable 6-1, 6-3 second-round victory over Slovenia’s Aljaz Bedene yesterday.
The 16-time grand slam winner, like Novak Djokovic, is looking for a record 31st Masters title, and will take on big-hitting Russian Karen Khachanov in the last 16 today as he continues his quest for an 11th Monte Carlo crown.
It was the Spaniard’s first appearance on the ATP Tour since he retired with a hip injury in his Australian Open quarter-final clash against Marin Cilic in January.
He returned to action earlier this month in the Davis Cup as he helped Spain beat Germany with singles victories over Philipp Kohlschreiber and Alexander Zverev.
He carried that form on yesterday as he brought up set point in the opener with a trademark, curling forehand up the line before sealing the set with a drop shot.
Bedene managed to keep the second set on serve for six games, but Nadal broke to lead 4-3 and wrapped up a comfortable victory in the Monaco sunshine with another break as Bedene hit a forehand into the net.
“It’s a very important one for me. It’s very important to start with a victory, that helps,” Nadal said. “And I’m going to try and keep going.”
Of facing Khachanov, whom he has beaten in both their previous meetings, Nadal said: “It’s going to be a very tough one. I’m going to need to be ready to play a very high intensity and a high level of tennis if I want to have success.”
The pressure will remain on the defending champion as he needs to retain his title in Monte Carlo to remain at No 1.
With Roger Federer, who is sitting out the clay season, only 100 points behind him at No 2, any failure to match his results in 2017, not just in the current tournament but the rest of the clay action up until and including the French Open, will see him drop down back below his Swiss rival.
Meanwhile, Djokovic needed 10 match points to see off Borna Coric in his second-round match in Monte Carlo. Djokovic, playing only his fourth tournament since Wimbledon last July after struggling with a right elbow injury, overcame some late nerves to win 7-6, 7-5.
Djokovic is working with longtime former coach Marian Vajda for the first time in almost a year after splitting from Andre Agassi, and the 30-year-old has looked rejuvenated in Monaco after early exits in Indian Wells and Miami.
“It was a real battle. I mean, I could have won the match earlier definitely, but it was great to deal with these kind of emotions again,” Djokovic said of his victory.
The Serbian will next face Austrian fifth seed Dominic Thiem with a possible quarter-final against defending champion Nadal up for grabs.
Elsewwhere, Japan’s Kei Nishikori continued his comeback from injury with an impressive 7-5, 6-2 win over Russian Daniil Medvedev.
The former world No 4, who has struggled over the last year with a right wrist injury, followed up his first-round victory against Tomas Berdych with a solid display on centre court.
“The first set was a real battle, he was playing a little better than me I think at the beginning,” Nishikori said.
“I just tried to stay calm and not do anything too crazy and stay calm at the baseline.”
Last year’s runner-up Albert Ramos-Vinolas slumped to a 6-4, 6-2 defeat by Kohlschreiber, whose fellow German Jan-Lennard Struff joined him in the last 16 by seeing off Italian 13th seed Fabio Fognini.