Nadal powers through in Monte Carlo

Djokovic opens account with a win despite sore ankle.

MONTE CARLO: Rafael Nadal made a predictably successful return to his beloved clay yesterday, the Spanish third-seed starting his quest for a ninth straight Monte Carlo Masters title with a 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Marinko Matosevic.

Nadal was totally in his comfort zone on another sunny, warm day on the Mediterranean, demolishing the Australian in 62 minutes.

He won the first seven points of the match, with Matosevic earning only two points in the first four games. The Spaniard ended with 15 winners, eight unforced errors and conversions on six of nine break point chances in the crowd-pleasing rout.

In another match, world number one Novak Djokovic rallied past Mikhail Youzhny of Russia 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, despite a sore right ankle, which he twisted while playing for Serbia in a Davis Cup win against the US on April 7.

Elsewhere in the second round, Czech fourth-seed Tomas Berdych began his clay season with a defeat of Spain’s Marcel Granollers 7-5, 6-4.

“Always the first matches are kind of tough,” said Berdych, who recovered from a break down in each set. “If you get an opponent like Marcel, it is even tougher. However, in the end, I felt quite good.”

Croatian ninth-seed Marin Cilic put out South African Kevin Anderson 6-2, 6-3 while veteran Finn Jarkko Nieminen upset Canadian 12th seed Milos Raonic 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7/3). German Florian Mayer defeated Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.

Meanwhile, Canadian 22-year-old Milos Raonic, seeded 12, was beaten by Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen 6-3, 1-6, 7-6.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18^th, 2013.