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SPORTSSaturday 18 April 2015
Djokovic to face Nadal in Monte Carlo semifinals
SAMUEL PETREQUIN going in opposite directions this is obvious,” said Nadal. “He is his strapped right foot, and then
AP Sports Writer season, as Nadal dropped to fifth playing almost perfect. When the told Berdych he couldn’t continue.
MONACO (AP) — Winning a game in the world rankings following a things go that well, it is difficult to Berdych is chasing a second Mas-
against Novak Djokovic these string of poor results on hard court stop a player like Novak.” ters title, 10 years after he made his
days is quite an achievement. after recovering from a wrist injury Djokovic is off to his best start since breakthrough at the Paris Masters.
Even when you’re an U.S. Open and an appendectomy. 2011. He has lost only two matches “If you look at the last 10 years,
champion.
Djokovic won the first eight games Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a return to David Ferrer of Spain during their quarterfinal match of the Monte Carlo Tennis
of his Monte Carlo Masters quar-
terfinal match Friday before Marin Masters tournament in Monaco, Friday, April 17, 2015. Associated Press
Cilic managed to hold his serve,
raising a thumb in the air to cel- Back on his favorite surface, he in 2015 and is bidding to win a third you’re going to find three guys
ebrate. passed a significant test against Masters title in a row this year fol- that pretty much took all of them,”
The momentum change was short- Ferrer, a fellow clay specialist. lowing victories in Indian Wells and Berdych said about the tall order
lived, though, with the top-ranked Nadal looked set for a comfort- Miami. of winning titles in an era domi-
Djokovic powering his way into the able win when Ferrer needed “I like the way I’m playing right nated by Djokovic, Nadal and Fe-
semifinals with a 6-0, 6-3 victory. treatment for a blister on a toe now,” Djokovic said. “I’m trying to derer. “They are taking all from us.
“Just all in all it was probably the when down a break in the second impose all the variety in the game Usually you’ve got at least two or
best match I’ve played so far in set. But serving for the match at that I have.” three of these guys to win the title.
the tournament,” Djokovic said. 5-4, Nadal was broken when Ferrer Earlier, Tomas Berdych advanced Here it’s a bit more open in that
“That’s what I want, what I wish for sent a backhand down the line fol- to the semifinals for the third time sense.”
in this moment.” lowed by a deep forehand. after Milos Raonic retired with a Monfils has a poor 1-5 record
The Serb, who has dropped only Ferrer broke again in the 12th foot injury. He will face Gael Mon- against Berdych but managed to
12 games at the Country Club, ex- game to claim the set. fils, who followed up his convincing beat him on clay at the French
tended his unbeaten record over Nadal recovered with a break at win over Roger Federer in the pre- Open two years ago.
his Croatian rival to 12 matches in the start of the decider and broke vious round with a 6-1, 6-3 victory “I must find the right tactics to neu-
another display of solid tennis. again in the seventh game as Fer- over Grigor Dimitrov. tralize his game because he gives
Djokovic, who ended Rafael Nad- rer ran out of energy. Raonic called for a trainer when me a lot of trouble,” Monfils said.
al’s reign in Monte Carlo when he “Tomorrow I am not favorite, that trailing 5-2 in the first set to look at “I’m never able to control him.”q
won the clay-court Masters tour-
nament in 2013, will next face the
Spaniard in a match he sees as
“probably the biggest clay-court
challenge you can have.”
It will be their 43rd career meeting,
the first since Nadal beat Djokovic
in last year’s French Open final.
“I’ve got to prepare myself men-
tally for that,” Djokovic said. “Oth-
er than the mental part, I think
physically I’m ready. I’m going to
need to keep the high level of per-
formance throughout the entire
match tomorrow.”
Nadal, an eight-time champion at
the Country Club, had to battle for
nearly 3 hours before securing a
6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory over David Fer-
rer, who stopped him in the quar-
terfinals last year.
“This is a very important victory for
me, for the confidence in the next
couple of months,” said Nadal,
who will be chasing a 10th French
Open title from May 24.
Djokovic and Nadal have been
SPORTSSaturday 18 April 2015
Djokovic to face Nadal in Monte Carlo semifinals
SAMUEL PETREQUIN going in opposite directions this is obvious,” said Nadal. “He is his strapped right foot, and then
AP Sports Writer season, as Nadal dropped to fifth playing almost perfect. When the told Berdych he couldn’t continue.
MONACO (AP) — Winning a game in the world rankings following a things go that well, it is difficult to Berdych is chasing a second Mas-
against Novak Djokovic these string of poor results on hard court stop a player like Novak.” ters title, 10 years after he made his
days is quite an achievement. after recovering from a wrist injury Djokovic is off to his best start since breakthrough at the Paris Masters.
Even when you’re an U.S. Open and an appendectomy. 2011. He has lost only two matches “If you look at the last 10 years,
champion.
Djokovic won the first eight games Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a return to David Ferrer of Spain during their quarterfinal match of the Monte Carlo Tennis
of his Monte Carlo Masters quar-
terfinal match Friday before Marin Masters tournament in Monaco, Friday, April 17, 2015. Associated Press
Cilic managed to hold his serve,
raising a thumb in the air to cel- Back on his favorite surface, he in 2015 and is bidding to win a third you’re going to find three guys
ebrate. passed a significant test against Masters title in a row this year fol- that pretty much took all of them,”
The momentum change was short- Ferrer, a fellow clay specialist. lowing victories in Indian Wells and Berdych said about the tall order
lived, though, with the top-ranked Nadal looked set for a comfort- Miami. of winning titles in an era domi-
Djokovic powering his way into the able win when Ferrer needed “I like the way I’m playing right nated by Djokovic, Nadal and Fe-
semifinals with a 6-0, 6-3 victory. treatment for a blister on a toe now,” Djokovic said. “I’m trying to derer. “They are taking all from us.
“Just all in all it was probably the when down a break in the second impose all the variety in the game Usually you’ve got at least two or
best match I’ve played so far in set. But serving for the match at that I have.” three of these guys to win the title.
the tournament,” Djokovic said. 5-4, Nadal was broken when Ferrer Earlier, Tomas Berdych advanced Here it’s a bit more open in that
“That’s what I want, what I wish for sent a backhand down the line fol- to the semifinals for the third time sense.”
in this moment.” lowed by a deep forehand. after Milos Raonic retired with a Monfils has a poor 1-5 record
The Serb, who has dropped only Ferrer broke again in the 12th foot injury. He will face Gael Mon- against Berdych but managed to
12 games at the Country Club, ex- game to claim the set. fils, who followed up his convincing beat him on clay at the French
tended his unbeaten record over Nadal recovered with a break at win over Roger Federer in the pre- Open two years ago.
his Croatian rival to 12 matches in the start of the decider and broke vious round with a 6-1, 6-3 victory “I must find the right tactics to neu-
another display of solid tennis. again in the seventh game as Fer- over Grigor Dimitrov. tralize his game because he gives
Djokovic, who ended Rafael Nad- rer ran out of energy. Raonic called for a trainer when me a lot of trouble,” Monfils said.
al’s reign in Monte Carlo when he “Tomorrow I am not favorite, that trailing 5-2 in the first set to look at “I’m never able to control him.”q
won the clay-court Masters tour-
nament in 2013, will next face the
Spaniard in a match he sees as
“probably the biggest clay-court
challenge you can have.”
It will be their 43rd career meeting,
the first since Nadal beat Djokovic
in last year’s French Open final.
“I’ve got to prepare myself men-
tally for that,” Djokovic said. “Oth-
er than the mental part, I think
physically I’m ready. I’m going to
need to keep the high level of per-
formance throughout the entire
match tomorrow.”
Nadal, an eight-time champion at
the Country Club, had to battle for
nearly 3 hours before securing a
6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory over David Fer-
rer, who stopped him in the quar-
terfinals last year.
“This is a very important victory for
me, for the confidence in the next
couple of months,” said Nadal,
who will be chasing a 10th French
Open title from May 24.
Djokovic and Nadal have been
