Nothing moves the dial more with the transition from hard courts to clay courts than points won returning first serves. An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of the four semi-finalists from the 2017 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters against their own 2017 hard-court averages identifies the biggest improvement in any serve or return category was points won returning first serves. [ALSO LIKE] The four semi-finalists in Monaco last year were David Goffin, Lucas Pouille, Albert Ramos-Vinolas and the champion, Rafael Nadal. The quartet combined to put up positive numbers in all three return categories on the clay, but their combined performance against first serves was the most noteworthy. 2017 Monte-Carlo Semi-Finalists: Combined Monte-Carlo v Hard-Court Averages Return Statistics 2017 Hard Court...
World No. 1 Rafael Nadal withstood the power of Karen Khachanov on Thursday to record his 65th match win at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, where he bids to capture a record 11th trophy this week. [ALSO LIKE] The Spanish superstar, seeking a record 31st ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown, defeated 21-year-old Russian Khachanov 6-3, 6-2 in 80 minutes for a place in the quarter-finals against sixth-seeded Austrian Dominic Thiem. Nadal has now reached the Monte-Carlo quarter-finals 14 consecutive years. "It was a good victory - straight sets against a difficult opponent," said Nadal. "I think I played little bit better than yesterday [against Aljaz Bedene]. My serve worked well and my forehand was better than yesterday. "The previous match...
World No. 1 Rafael Nadal reacts to his impressive performance against Karen Khachanov in Monte-Carlo and looks ahead to a quarter-final battle against Dominic Thiem. Watch live tennis at tennistv.com.
Watch highlights as Rafael Nadal powers past Karen Khachanov, 6-3, 6-2 to move into the quarter-finals at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev and Grigor Dimitrov also managed their way into the quarter-finals. Photo Credit: Realis/Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. Watch live tennis at tennistv.com.
There is a certain homely feel to a site where you have tasted considerable success there for well over a decade. Tucked away on the fringes of the Mediterranean, the Monte-Carlo Country Club is one such place for Rafael Nadal. Last year, the Spaniard became the first man to win 10 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters crowns when he easily accounted for countryman Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the final. He won eight straight finals on Court Rainier III from 2005-12 before Novak Djokovic broke his extraordinary winning streak in the 2013 final. “Of course, there are places that you have special feelings in terms of you feel comfortable on court, you played a lot of times on this court, you know you had...