Tennis Players - Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer

Nadal confirms participation in Chennai Open

2007-10-29T05:49:00.000-07:00

“I lost in the semifinals last time and I hope to win my first Chennai Open title this year. I had some injuries this year, but I am confident that I would make a good start to the New Year and improve my performance, playing in this tournament”

Nadal confirms participation in Chennai Open World number two and French Open Champion Rafael Nadal of Spain has set his eyes on the elusive Chennai Open ATP title to start the 2008 season on a winning note.

Nadal beats Federer

2007-10-29T05:41:00.000-07:00

World No. 1 Roger Federer hasn't won a claycourt title since 2005, and if Rafael Nadal has his say, the Swiss will go winless again in 2007.Nadal was his bullish self and Federer appeared mentally shaken Sunday in the final of the Masters Series Monte Carlo, where in a repeat of last year's championship, the relentless muscle-bound Spaniard ground his way to a 6-4, 6-4 victory.Federer began the contest aggressively but his net-rushing tactic waned as the match went on. The Swiss squandered break opportunities with Nadal serving at 3-4 in the first, and the missed chances proved mentally taxing as on his next service game Federer double faulted at 0-15 and dropped serve amidst a flurry of unforced error.

In the second set Nadal secured an early break as the Federer errors continued, and the Spaniard served out the match at 5-4 for his second title of the year, and second Masters Series title after Indian Wells. Nadal did not drop a set during the event, and extended his all-time record match winning streak on clay to 67. Nadal is 5-0 career versus Federer on clay, and leads their meetings 7-3 overall.The usually-confident Federer seemed to lose his nerve as the match progressed, ending with 38 unforced errors to only 19 for Nadal, and failing to convert on any of his three break point chances.Nadal became the first player to win three consecutive titles in Monte Carlo since Ilie Nastase in 1971-73. The only other players to win three Monte Carlo titles in the Open Era are Bjorn Borg (1977, 1979-80) and Thomas Muster (1992, 1995-95).Both players have been taking on ATP President Etienne de Villiers during the week in the media and in private meetings as the ATP attempts to demote Monte Carlo from Masters Series status and Nadal and Federer have led the charge to keep the event's elite status.

The next potential meeting between Federer and Nadal will be the week of May 7 in Rome, where in last years final Nadal saved two match points in a 6-7(0), 7-6(5), 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(5) win over the Swiss.In the doubles final the American Bryan brother won their first Monte Carlo title with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Frenchmen Julien Benneteau and Richard Gasquet in only 49 minutes.

Nadal crowned "King of Clay"

2007-10-29T05:36:00.000-07:00

At the start of the tournament, 19-year-old Rafael Nadal of Spain was seeded as the second favourite to take the Monte Carlo Masters clay court title, ranked only behind the current world number one, 25-year-old Roger Federer of Switzerland. The finals match-up in question, the first where the number 1 and 2 seeds faced each other since 1985, was won in four sets; 6-2, 6-7, 6-3, 7-6, ending in just eleven minutes short of four hours.

As the lengthy matchtime suggests, the action on the court was a see-saw battle with both players looking as though they would go on to win at different points of the match. At times, it was difficult to see who was the more experienced. Nadal, the more successful of the two on a clay tennis surface, played to Roger Federer's weakness. Roger Federer didn't give up without a fight, but his best, which is capable of beating anybody on his day, seemed to remain in the locker room as Roger Federer's aggression came a rare second to Nadal's accurate baseline style.

Nadal wins the Monte Carlo Masters for a second consecutive time. Nadal can celebrate his unexpected but much welcomed victory in Monaco, if only for a little while ahead of the next tournament in the clay court series.

Rafael Nadal Profile Information

2007-10-29T05:28:00.000-07:00

Current ATP Champions Race Position: 2
Current Doubles Rank: 119
Career titles for singles: 23
Career titles for doubles: 3
Career matches won: 247
Career matches lost: 63
Year to date matches won: 64
Year to date matches lost: 12
Career prize money: $12,732,124.00
Year to date prize money for singles: $4,395,185.00