Nadal and Federer cruise, Safin in Monaco meltdown
Rafael Nadal, bidding for a fifth consecutive Monte Carlo Masters
title, reached the third round on Wednesday by racking up his 134th
claycourt win, against just four defeats, since 2005.
Roger Federer also breezed through to stay on course for a fourth
consecutive final appearance as the build-up to the French Open
continues.
Federer saw off Italian Andreas Seppi 6-4, 6-4 and will face Swiss
compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka for a place in the quarter-finals.
Nadal recovered from dropping serve twice to beat dogged Argentine
Juan Ignacio Chela 6-2, 6-3 and will next face Ecuador's Nicolas
Lapentti who defeated Marat Safin.
The volatile Russian, who squandered a 5-2 third set lead as well as
three match points, flirted with disqualification as his hopes crumbled.
Federer, the second seed, was kept on his toes as Seppi saved three
match points in the penultimate game on his own serve before the Swiss
brought proceedings
to a close after 1hr 23min. "Maybe I could have made it easier for
myself in the second," said Federer.
"I had some opportunities. He hung in there and I didn't play my
best. But I'm still happy I came through so good." Nadal is hoping to
repeat his superman act of past claycourt seasons as the four-time
French Open champion begins another long haul towards Paris.
"I played some games well and also had some terrible games," said
Nadal who has defeated Federer in the last three finals here.
"In the beginning of the second, after two games, I was really bad
(he lost 11 straight points).
"I was up and down during all the match. I have to improve my
concentration in the next match. That's the important thing." Qualifier
Lapentti won a roller-coaster three-and-a-half-hour marathon against
Safin. The Russian lived up to his reputation, wasting three match
points and coming within a hair of a racquet smash which would have
ended the match. MONTE CARLO, April 15, 2009 AFP |