Rafael Nadal masters Monte Carlo again to set new record

Rafael Nadal won the Monte Carlo Masters yet again by beating Kei Nishikori in the final, and with it he set a couple new records.

The Spaniard took only one hour and 31 minutes to beat Nishikori 6-3, 6-2 in the Principality on Sunday afternoon.

Yet it was the Japanese player who had the early upper hand as he broke in the third game of the opening set to lead 2-1, but Nadal hit back immediately as he won five of the next six games.

It was one-way traffic in the second set as Nadal secured a record 11th Monte Carlo Masters title. He also set a new record of 31 ATP Masters 1000 titles with the victory, one more than Novak Djokovic, while he has now also won 36 consecutive sets on clay.

“Of course it is a special day for me,” he said. “Winning again this title here in Monte-Carlo means a lot, especially because it is the first tournament in the year that I finished.

“To have the victory in a Masters 1000, especially in Monte-Carlo, that for me is one of the most important ones in terms of personal feeling and in terms of history of our sport. I am very excited and very happy for everything.”

He added: “It is very special. But 11 titles here, it’s unbelievable, so it’s something difficult to imagine. I always say the same: If I did it, somebody else can do it. But it is very difficult. I really don’t know how these things can happen because it is lot of years without making mistakes and without being unlucky in this week. I have been unlucky other weeks, but not this week.

“The history with this tournament is unique. To put another trophy in my museum, in my academy, is going to be something great. Eleven is a lot, especially here in Monte-Carlo.”

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