TENNIS – Rafa Nadal beat Gael Monfils 6-3 6-4 in an hour and 19 minutes in the semifinal of the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart to qualify for his first final on grass since Wimbledon 2011 Diego Sampaolo
Nadal, winner in Stuttgart in 2005 and 2007 when the tournament was held on clay, converted 2/6 break points and fended off all the 4 break points he faced, 3 of which came in the opening game of the match. The match went on serve until the sixth game when Nadal broke en route to winning the first set with 6-3. In the 4th game of 2nd set, Nadal saved another break point as both players held serve until the 9th game. Monfils committed a series of unforced errors to give Nadal the crucial 5-4 lead. Nadal closed out the match at love on the first match point to seal his spot in Sunday’s final.
Nadal will face Viktor Troicki who beat Marin Cilic in the tie-break of the third set with 6-3 6-7(1) 7-6(2). Troicki broke Cilic in the 2nd game to get out to a 3-0 lead. Cilic earned four break points in the 5th game but was unable to convert any of them as Troicki maintained his lead to take the set 6-3. In the 2nd set, both players remained on serve having to save break points. The set was decided in a breaker where Cilic dominated from the beginning taking it 7-1 points.
In the 3rd set, Cilic broke Troicki in the 5th game but Troicki broke back in the 8th game to level the set. Again, the players remained on serve and another tiebreaker was needed to decide the match. However, it is Troicki who dominated this one as he took it 7-2 points and thus the match. Troicki won 6-3 6-7 7-6 to make his 2nd final for the year.
