Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-3 in the semi-finals of the ATP 1000 Monte Carlo Rolex Masters semi-finals. The Serbian claimed his fourth straight sets win over Nadal on Clay (Madrid ’11, Rome ’11, Monte Carlo ’13), and his fifth win overall with a clinical, hard fought and aggressive win.
Nadal started off the stronger of the two when he earned break point in the first game of the match, hitting a forehand winner mid-court. His forehand helped him convert the break point as he belted that shot to approach the net and then put away a backhand volley winner for 1-0.
Nadal held serve, but he could not consolidate for long, and at 2-1, Djokovic earned break point, drawing in Nadal with a drop shot, and then intercepting the sliced backhand return with a winning lob. Nadal then gifted the break point as he followed his service inside the court, took the short ball on with the forehand, and hit it into the net.
At 3-3, 15-30, Djokovic looked to still be in some danger of an upset (Nadal was the underdog in a clay court match for the first time in ten years) as Nadal pulled him around the court and hit a drop shot off a short ball, but Djokovic charged in, and sliced the ball past Nadal with an unretrievable angle to level the game at 30-30.
Djokovic was not in the clear though as Nadal earned break point with a forehand winner. Djokovic saved it with some fine forehands of his own, including a forehand lob from the service box, finally ending the point with a smash.
The two contested more thrilling points, one of them showcasing Djokovic’s athleticism and touch at its best as once more he hit another sliced angled winner off a Nadal drop shot.
Djokovic finally held, ending the eleven minute game as he pulled Nadal out wide on the forehand side, and then came in on the short ball, putting away a backhand winner to the same corner as Nadal ran to the other side.
At 4-3, Djokovic earned two break points as he forced an error from the Nadal backhand, forcing him to go down the line too early. The world No.1 took the second break point as Nadal hit an unforced error, a forehand into the net.
Djokovic served for the set and took it 6-3 with a service winner.
In the second set, Nadal stayed with Djokovic, until at 3-3, in the crucial seventh game, the set reached its peak as it did in the first.
Nadal, serving, was 40-15 up, but Djokovic took the game to deuce and then broke for 4-3.
Djokovic then held serve and broke Nadal in the final game, earning match point with a forehand winner off a second serve. The world no.1 sealed the win with a mid-court backhand winner for a 6-3, 6-3 victory and a place in his fourth Monte Carlo Open final where he will face Tomas Berdych who defeated Gael Monfils 6-1, 6-4.
Djokovic hit 23 winners to 19 errors in the match to Nadal’s ratio of 20-23. Those impressive stats tell what a quality contest the semi-final was, and how both men played aggressive tennis. Djokovic, though, was too efficient, too calm, and too on his game for the Spaniard, but with three more tournaments left for Nadal to play before Roland Garros, there is plenty to take from this week in Monte Carlo to restore some confidence as he tries to win a record tenth French Open.
Confidence is something Djokovic should have plenty of. The Serbian goes into the final with a chance to win the first four big events of the year (he has already won the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami) and is having a perfect start to the Clay season as he embarks, for the fourth time in his career, on a campaign to win the French Open and complete the Career Grand Slam.
Commentary by Christian Deverille @thetennisreview
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