Rafa reaches quarterfinals
Saturday, 18 April 2009
MONACO, Apr 17 (AP): Top-ranked Rafael Nadal stretched his winning streak at the Monte Carlo Masters to 24 matches Friday, beating Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador 6-3, 6-0 to advance to the quarterfinals.
The players exchanged breaks in a tough opening set but the four-time defending champion never looked back after breaking Lapentti again and holding for a 4-2 lead.
Each time Nadal has won at Monte Carlo he has gone on to capture the French Open. The Spaniard has won 18 straight matches on clay since losing to Juan Carlos Ferrero in the second round of the Rome Masters in May 2008.
Nadal sealed the victory when Lapentti hit a weak forehand into the net, and the Spaniard will face Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia in the quarters after he beat Simone Bolelli of Italy 7-5, 7-6 (2).
Also, fourth-seeded Andy Murray overcame a poor start to beat Fabio Fognini of Italy 7-6 (11), 6-4 to reach a quarterfinal on clay for the first time in his career.
Murray had never previously been beyond the third round on clay, and his prospects looked bleak when he trailed 5-0 in the first set, which started on Thursday.
The players exchanged breaks in a tough opening set but the four-time defending champion never looked back after breaking Lapentti again and holding for a 4-2 lead.
Each time Nadal has won at Monte Carlo he has gone on to capture the French Open. The Spaniard has won 18 straight matches on clay since losing to Juan Carlos Ferrero in the second round of the Rome Masters in May 2008.
Nadal sealed the victory when Lapentti hit a weak forehand into the net, and the Spaniard will face Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia in the quarters after he beat Simone Bolelli of Italy 7-5, 7-6 (2).
Also, fourth-seeded Andy Murray overcame a poor start to beat Fabio Fognini of Italy 7-6 (11), 6-4 to reach a quarterfinal on clay for the first time in his career.
Murray had never previously been beyond the third round on clay, and his prospects looked bleak when he trailed 5-0 in the first set, which started on Thursday.