Eleven-time champion Rafael Nadal had to dig deep in his hard-fought 7-6 (7-1) 6-3 win over Argentina’s Guido Pella in the quarter final of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters on the Court Rainier III to reach his 14th semifinal in Monte-Carlo in the last 15 years.
Nadal is just within two wins of his record 12th title in Monte-Carlo. Nadal has reached the 69th Masters 1000 semifinal of his career.
Nadal was one point away from 1-5 down three times in the opening set, but he had to work hard to win the tie-break. The Spanish “King of Clay” converted 7 of his 13 break point chances to seal the win after 2 hours and 20 minutes.
The opening set started with three consecutive breaks. Pella broke three times in a row to race out to a 4-1 lead. Nadal pulled both breaks back in the sixth and eighth games to draw level to 4-4 after 50 minutes. Pella got another break in the 11th game to take a 6-5 lead, but Nadal broke straight back to draw level to 6-6 sending the first set to the tie-break. Nadal got a double mini-break to open up a 3-0 lead and dropped just one point to seal the tie-break 7-1 with a smash winner.
Nadal fended off four of the five break points he faced and broke three times in the second set.
Nadal went up an early break in the opening game and consolidated it to open up a 2-0 lead. Pella saved two break points in the third game to hold his serve in the third game. Nadal saved four break points in a 13-minute fourth game to hold his serve at deuce before breaking serve at 30 to build up a 4-1 lead. The Spaniard held his serve at 30 for 5-1 with his forehand. Pella pulled one break back in the eighth game to clase the gap to 3-5. Nadal closed out the second set 6-3 with his third break in the ninth game.
“It was a very tough first set physically and mentally. Losing the first three games with my serve was tough, but I found a a way at the right time. I was lucky at 4-1. He had to points to be 5-1. It is almost impossible at 5-1. I was lucky to escape that moment and then I played better. I am very happy to be through. Being in the semifinals means a lot to me”,said Nadal.
Nadal has improved his record to 25 consecutive sets in Monte-Carlo since losing the second set of his opening match against Kyle Edmund in the 2017 edition of this tournament.
Pella, who entered this match with 17 wins in 2019, has become the first player since Edmund to earn more than four sets in a single set against Nadal in Monte-Carlo.
