Sport
Nadal battles past Monfils to finally break Doha jinx
Nadal battles past Monfils to finally break Doha jinx
By Satya Rath/Doha
After five unsuccessful attempts, after having lost from match point three years back, Rafael Nadal has finally added that one elusive trophy that had been missing from his glittering cabinet. |
Yesterday, before a packed-to-the-brim centre court crowd at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex here, against an inspired opponent who was hitting winners from nowhere, Nadal won his maiden Qatar ExxonMobil Open title in the event’s 22nd edition.
The world No. 1 Spaniard beat French journeyman Gael Monfils, a two-time finalist in Doha, 6-1, 7-6(5), 6-2 in one hour 59 minutes of pulsating tennis that had the crowd roaring for more.
It was also the first time Nadal won a title in the opening week of the new season. He had come close twice before — first at the Chennai Open in 2008 (where he lost to Mikhail Youzhny in the final), and then here in Doha in 2010 (he lost to Nikolay Davydenko in the title clash).
His 61st career trophy helped Nadal reach another major landmark too. He has now overtaken American legend Andre Agassi, who has 60 career titles to his credit, and sits eighth in the list of maximum title winners in the Open era. Jimmy Connors (109 titles), Ivan Lendl (94), Roger Federer and John McEnroe (77 each), Bjorn Borg and Pete Sampras (64 each) and Guillermo Vilas (62) are ahead of him, but the pace at which he’s been going, those records do not seem safe anymore.
Rafael Nadal and Gael Monfils pose with their trophies.
“I am so happy to have finally won here. I came so close in 2010… I lost from match point… it was so heart-breaking. I love playing here. I love the courts and the supportive crowd. I have some great friends here, so for me, to win here gives a great satisfaction,” said Nadal after the two-hour energy-sapping clash.
He was all praise for his opponent too. “He played really well. I have played him before and he never gives up easily. I knew it would be tough. The way he played today, if he continues in the same way, I see no reason why he can’t be among the top-10,” the Spaniard added.
The final can be divided into two contrasting halves. The opening set, lasting just 23 minutes, was virtual one-way traffic. Monfils began with two double-faults and was broken on his opening serve itself. The left-hander had raced to a 5-0 lead in no time, and the Frenchman just about managed to avoid a bagel by holding on to his serve in the sixth after getting broken again in the fourth (6-1).
The match came to life in the second, as one got to witness a different Monfils, one who seemed to have suddenly rediscovered both his focus and his game. After holding his own serve, he broke Nadal in his opening game. His serving rhythm, which seemed to have deserted him in the opening set, was working overtime as he reeled down aces at will. He often caught Nadal on the wrong foot with his stinging baseline winners, some of which even had Nadal applauding. Though the Spaniard managed to break back in the seventh to force a tie-breaker, Monfils’ serve held him in good stead to see him home and take the match to a decider.
After having caught a bit unaware, Nadal was back to his old self in the deciding third and broke Monfils in the fourth game to get the decisive lead.
The Frenchman tried his best, but failed to get his act together when it was required the most. Desperation got the better of him at this point as a couple of unforced errors, and another double-fault — his fourth of the match — helped Nadal break him in the 10th and take the set and the match.
“I think I started very slow. Rafa put pressure on me from the first point. He was very aggressive, really tough, and it was tougher for me to adjust. I think I had my opportunities, but failed to capitalise on them when it mattered. But it was a good week. I still need to work hard if I need to keep a good game like this. You need to work hard every day. I have a week’s time. I will work hard, and then I can be confident for the first day in Australia,” said a tired-looking Monfils, who made the finals in Doha in 2006 and 2012.
Result (Final)
1-Rafael Nadal (ESP) bt Gael Monfils (FRA) 6-1, 7-6(5), 6-2.
Below: Foreign Minister HE Dr Khalid bin Mohammed al-Attiyah (centre), HE Nasser Bin Ghanim al-Khelaifi (right), Chairman of the Higher Organising Committee and Bart Cahir (left), President & General Manager ExxonMobil Qatar with other dignitaries during the presentation ceremony of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open yesterday.