(April 18, 2012) Rafael Nadal’s 38th consecutive win at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters was a lot like all the rest. An early break, control of the rallies and a 6-4, 6-3 win over Jarkko Nieminen of Finland.

“Nothing very bad, but nothing very good,” said Nadal. “Just normal.”

The typically paranormal Nadal knows that normal won’t be good enough by the end of this week, but for now he’s happy to be back at one of his favorite stomping grounds, playing in front of old familiar faces, including three-time Monte-Carlo champion Bjorn Borg.

“Tomorrow I have another chance to keep improving, and that’s what I’m going to try,” said Nadal, who will face qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin in the third round on Thursday.

Nadal broke easily to start the match, sealing the game with an overhead smash. It was all he would need to secure the first set. After a slow start that saw most of Nadal’s trademark forehands landing feebly inside the service line, the Spaniard started to find his form, ratcheting up the depth and power as the match progressed.

Considering that the seven-time Monte-Carlo champion had taken fifteen days off without swinging the racquet since withdrawing from Miami with an injured left knee, he looked sharp. “When you stop for fifteen days, your body loses a bit of performance,” said Nadal. “That’s something usual. In this case I had very short period of time [to prepare]. I know that I have to be ready. I tried to go faster than usual in the recovery to be competitive here, and that’s what I tried.”

When asked if he had to be cautious with regard to his recently injured knee, Nadal circumvented the issue a bit, saying “I don’t think about anyone when I’m playing. I think about the ball, that’s enough work for me. The knee is still there. But it’s not without impediments to run at every ball. We’ll see.”

Picking up where he left off in the first, Nadal broke the Fin in the third game of the second set, then consolidated with a trademark hold that featured some furious defensive points and a foray to the net for a drop volley to take a 3-1 lead.

For the 30-year-old Nieminen, who has taken only one of the eighteen sets that he’s played against Nadal in seven losing efforts, it was no longer a question of would he win, but would he keep it close?

Despite flashes of brilliance, Nieminen’s inconsistency put him a double break down before he was able to muster his first break with Nadal serving for the match. It was too little too late.

For Nadal, it was enough—at least for now.