Monaco, Apr 17: Rafael Nadal extended his Monte Carlo Masters winning streak to 43 matches in beating Marinko Matosevic 6-1, 6-2 in the second round on Wednesday.
The eight-time defending champion nearly trailed 3-0 in the second set, but he saved break points before taking control of the match.
There were ironic cheers from the crowd when Matosevic won his first point after losing the first seven points, and the tall Australian threw both arms up in the air—twice—to milk the applause when he won his first game to pull back to 4-1.
The third-seeded Nadal dropped his serve at the start of the second set and Matosevic held for a surprising 2-0 lead, and he even had a chance to go further ahead, but Nadal saved the first break point with a forehand winner down the line and Matosevic dumped the next opportunity into the net with a sloppy backhand.
Nadal cut out the wild shots after that and played with a more clinical edge, eventually wrapping up victory on his first match point with a pass down the line.
Nadal will face Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany in the third round.
Later, top-ranked Novak Djokovic was to play Mikhail Youzhny as he prepared to test out his sore right ankle. Djokovic twisted it while playing for Serbia in the Davis Cup on April 7. Second-seeded Andy Murray was also in action against Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin Fourth-seeded Tomas Berdych, ninth-seeded Marin Cilic, Florian Mayer and Jarkko Nieminen also won.
Berdych overcame a sloppy serving performance to win 7-5, 6-4 against Spaniard Marcel Granollers, and Cilic beat South African Kevin Anderson 6-2, 6-3.
Berdych trailed 4-2, and he was broken three times in the match, but he felt it was the perfect test for him.
“I actually prefer this (scenario) than the other one. You know, you come up for your first game, you play unbelievable tennis, then what can you bring in the next round?” said Berdych, who lost to Djokovic in last year's semifinals. “So this is the kind of start that I prefer more, and now improving myself. It's still a lot of work to do.”
He next plays either Fabio Fognini of Italy or qualifier Albert Ramos of Spain.
Nieminen won 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (3) against Milos Raonic.
The Canadian was left to rue missed opportunities as Nieminen saved all five break point chances he faced in the first set. Nieminen will face another big server in the third round as he is up against fifth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro.
Mayer advanced by downing Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.
