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Rafael Nadal celebrates yet another Monte Carlo Masters title, beating his Spanish compatriot Albert Ramos-Viñolas 6-1, 6-3
Rafael Nadal celebrates yet another Monte Carlo Masters title, beating his Spanish compatriot Albert Ramos-Viñolas 6-1, 6-3. Photograph: Claude Paris/AP
Rafael Nadal celebrates yet another Monte Carlo Masters title, beating his Spanish compatriot Albert Ramos-Viñolas 6-1, 6-3. Photograph: Claude Paris/AP

Rafael Nadal beats Albert Ramos-Viñolas to win 10th Monte Carlo Masters

This article is more than 6 years old
Rafael Nadal beats Spanish compatriot Albert Ramos-Viñolas 6-1, 6-3
14-times grand slam champion now holds record of 10 wins in one ATP event

Rafael Nadal left Monte Carlo on Sunday wrapped in history and hungry for more. The remarkable Spaniard, as expected, dazzled his compatriot Albert Ramos-Viñolas in just 66 minutes to win an unprecedented 10th Masters title here and in Barcelona this week he will try for La Décima again, before heading for Paris where, astonishingly, he has every chance of completing a hat-trick of 10s in the space of seven weeks.

There can hardly be an achievement anywhere in the history of sport to match such a celebratory run … if he pulls it off. Only a fool would bet against it.

But it is not a valedictory win; it is a rebirth. Just as Roger Federer has somehow rediscovered his best tennis at 35, so Nadal, 31 in June, who has tracked and often surpassed the Swiss for most of their careers, has returned to the peak of his powers. This weekend, at least, he is again the best player in the world.

With Andy Murray clinging nervously to his world No1 ranking and Novak Djokovic searching still for the magic that lifted him to a career slam at Roland Garros last year, the fire has returned to Nadal’s fierce gaze.

It was a year since he had won his last tournament – beating Kei Nishikori in the Barcelona final – and, after reaching four finals this year, he senses an opening to exploit on his favourite surface.

On Saturday, they booed him after an ill-judged overrule by Cédric Mourier gifted him a retaken point in the sixth game of the first set that dramatically altered the course of his semi-final against David Goffin. On Sunday, when Ramos-Viñolas shoved a closing second serve over the line just near the Mallorcan’s feet to present him with a 6-1, 6-3 victory, they cheered him loudly again. Nobody matches the Monégasque fans for fickleness.

An accidental villain one day, an acclaimed hero the next: none of that bothered Nadal when he said courtside: “Winning 10 titles here, I don’t know how to explain the feeling. I was playing a little better every day. The court was so heavy, but I was serving very well, my backhand was very good, the forehand a little bit better every day. It was a very solid tournament.”

He is reluctant to think about the glory that might await him, however. “Today is a day to enjoy the title here. Tomorrow we’re going to be focused on Barcelona.”

With that, he hurried from the court for a quick meal before watching the football match between Real Madrid (who coined the concept of La Décima in their pursuit of 10 European Cups) and his team, Barcelona. He added: “After the clay-court season, then we will have time to celebrate a little bit.”

On the evidence of his commanding victory over Ramos-Viñolas – Murray’s midweek conqueror – Nadal has a great chance of winning in Barcelona, now that Nishikori has withdrawn from his side of the draw with a wrist injury, and is better placed to triumph in the French Open than any time since he ruled Court Philippe Chatrier almost without serious challenge.

More impressive than the certainty and rebooted power in his forehand, his efficient serving and rock-like defence on Sunday and all week was his demeanour. Even when Kyle Edmund took a set off him in the second round, Nadal looked unshakeable. On a dull, mild day on Court Rainier III, he had the air of the champion again.

This is a late-career revival every bit as impressive as Federer winning this year’s Australian Open after six months out with a career-threatening injury. The Swiss, absent here, came from 1-3 down in the fifth set of the Melbourne final against Nadal; it is unlikely there will be a repeat of that at the French Open.

There were other career high points for Nadal to digest. This was his 50th clay title from 58 finals, an astounding return that puts him one clear of Guillermo Vilas in the all-time list. He has 70 singles titles in all – 14 of them majors – making him fifth behind Jimmy Connors (109), Ivan Lendl (94), Federer (91) and John McEnroe (77).

Those are numbers, impressive but cold. To flesh out his achievement at this tournament, look at the players he has beaten in 10 finals: Djokovic and Federer three times apiece, Guillermo Coria, Fernando Verdasco, David Ferrer and Gaël Monfils. It is well and truly his manor.

Ramos-Viñolas, meanwhile, leaves the most satisfying tournament of his career with 600 points, a move into the top 20 for the first time, his reputation seriously enhanced (he also put the 2014 US Open champion, Marin Cilic, out of the tournament) and a cheque for £336,000.

“I didn’t expect to be playing Rafa, the best player on clay in the history of tennis,” he said. “To win this tournament, it might be impossible for anyone else in this generation.”

This was indeed Nadal’s day, Nadal’s week and, if he can sustain his run, it will be Nadal’s spring.

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