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By Alberto Amalfi | Sunday, March1, 2015

 
Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal won nine of the final 11 games to sweep Juan Monaco, 6-4, 6-1, and capture his 46th career clay-court crown.

Photo credit: Argentina Open Facebook

Trapped in his backhand corner, Juan Monaco was leaning to his left waiting for another punishing crosscourt forehand from Rafael Nadal.

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Instead, the nine-time Roland Garros champion danced to his left and drilled a forehand down the line with such heavy topspin the ball seemed certain to sail three feet long before dropping down right inside the baseline.

A befuddled Monaco waved his left hand in exasperation. He played his friend and fishing partner on even terms for six games. Then Nadal quickly displaced the hometown favorite and roared to a record-equaling title in the process.

Nadal won nine of the last 11 games powering past Monaco, 6-4, 6-1 in the Buenos Aires final to capture his 46th career clay-court crown. Though it was originally reported that Nadal had tied Argentine's legendary Guillermo on the all-time clay titles list, the ATP later revealed that Vilas actually owns 49 titles. But that did little to dampen the enthusiam of Nadal, or the enthusiastic Buenos Aires crowd.


Vilas, who presented Nadal with his first career tournament title, was on hand clad in a black baseball cap to watch the final before an enthusiastic crowd that included former Argentine standouts David Nalbandian and Gaston Gaudio.

On a damp and drizzly day, rain delayed the start for two hours. The pair played two games before another delay. When the match resumed again, Monaco was the aggressor in the early stages as Nadal was content to play down the middle while finding his range.

In the past, Nadal's hellacious lefty topspin forehand to the Tandil native's weaker two-handed backhand had added up to mega-doses of misery for Monaco. Nadal shut-out his friend in three of the last five sets they'd played, thrashing Monaco, 6-1, 6-0 in Madrid last spring.

The 60th-ranked Argentine tried to alter his horrific history against Nadal by playing with more aggression at the outset.

Midway through the second set, Nadal mixed varied backhand combinations to damaging effect.

Knifing a short slice to lure the counterpuncher forward, Nadal crunched a two-handed pass down the line. Monaco tried testing the top seed's two-hander again and paid the price on the next point. Nadal hit a deep backhand crosscourt to displace his opponent then banged a short-angled backhand winner crosscourt for double break point.

Two points later, Monaco netted a backhand Nadal celebrated the break and a 4-3 lead with a firm "Vamos!"

Sliding a twisting serve out wide, Nadal raced forward for a forehand volley to back up the break 5-3.

Attacking the Argentine's weaker backhand wing, Nadal drew a floating backhand down the line to take the 52-minute first set without facing a single break point.

Credit Monaco for trying to change-up a losing game plan by stepping inside the baseline more frequently and trying to flatten out his backhand and drive that shot through the court.

The challenges of leaving his comfort zone caught up with him at the start of the second set.

The Monaco moved into net behind a deep approach, but failed to cover the line. A sliding Nadal scraped a backhand pass up the line for his third break point. Trying to surprise the Spaniard, Monaco played an abysmal drop shot that failed to even reach the net. That dumped dropper cost him the break in the opening game of the second set.




Nadal dropped a topspin forehand inside the baseline, holding at 30 for 2-0 as a perplexed Monaco watched the ball that seemed certain to sail long land inside the line.

When Monaco hooked a backhand long, Nadal had his third straight break and a commanding one-set, 3-0 advantage. When Monaco zapped an inside-out forehand wide, Nadal had his 65th career title and first since winning his ninth French Open crown last June.

Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Rafael Nadal had tied Guillermo Vilas on the all-time clay-court title list. Vilas actually has 49 titles.


 

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