RAFAEL “RAFA” NADAL WINS FOUR-SETTER AGAINST MONFILS, TO FACE RAONIC IN AUSTRALIAN OPEN QUARTERFINALS

Written by: on 23rd January 2017
Tennis Australian Open 2017
RAFAEL "RAFA" NADAL WINS FOUR-SETTER AGAINST MONFILS, TO FACE RAONIC IN AUSTRALIAN OPEN QUARTERFINALS

epaselect epa05743992 Rafael Nadal of Spain in action against Gael Monfils of France during the Mens Singles round four match at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 23 January 2017. EPA/FILIP SINGER  |

Nadal wins four-setter against Monfils, to face Raonic in Australian Open quarterfinals

 

By Ricky Dimon

 

Rafael Nadal avoided a second consecutive five-set match by finishing off Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in round four of the Australian Open on Monday night. Nadal, who outlasted Alexander Zverev in five in his previous outing, got the job done after two hours and 55 minutes to book the final men’s quarterfinal spot.

 

It was a typical Monfils performance, as the Frenchman came out woefully flat, found a second gear to make things competitive, and then collapsed just when it looked like he would force a fifth set. Nadal recovered from a break deficit in the fourth to win the last four games of the match.

Gael Monfils of France in action during the Men’s Singles match against Rafael Nadal of Spain in round four at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 23 January 2017. EPA/DEAN LEWINS

 

The 14-time Grand Slam champion struck just 21 winners compared to Monfils’ 52, but he made only 27 unforced errors whereas 64 flew off the Monfils racket.

 

“For me (it) means a lot because I [have started] the season playing (in the) quarterfinals in a Grand Slam again, especially on a hard court after a couple of years without being in this round,” Nadal commented. “(It) is great news; very happy with an important victory against a very good opponent.”

 

Milos Raonic of Canada in action against Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain during round four of the Men’s Singles at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 23 January 2017. EPA/LYNN BO BO

Up next for Nadal is familiar opponent Milos Raonic, who defeated Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. Wild momentum swings defined the first and second sets, starting when Raonic battled back from a 5-1 deficit in the opening tiebreaker. The world No. 3 promptly surged to a break lead in the second only to drop serve twice from completely of nowhere. He therefore surrendered the second set but seized control the rest of the way.

 

“This was up and down,” Raonic assessed. “Most of the match, it was quite inconsistent I think from both of us. I was sort of there on the brink in the end of the third set. then turned it around.”

 

“I think going to be a tough match for me, for sure,” Nadal said of his upcoming showdown against the Canadian. “Hopefully for him, too. In Brisbane he beat me. But at the same time is true that I have been close. He’s an opponent that make you feel that you’re playing with a lot of pressure all the time because his serve is huge and he’s playing very aggressive from the baseline. But I hope to be ready for it. I need to be very focused with my serve and play aggressive. If I am not playing aggressive, then I am dead.”

 

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.

 

Topics: , , , , , , , , , , ,








10sBalls Top Stories

In Case You Missed It

EUGENIE BOUCHARD NAMED 2018 TENNIS CANADA FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR / EUGENIE BOUCHARD NOMMÉE JOUEUSE DE L’ANNÉE 2018 DE TENNIS CANADA thumbnail

EUGENIE BOUCHARD NAMED 2018 TENNIS CANADA FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR / EUGENIE BOUCHARD NOMMÉE JOUEUSE DE L’ANNÉE 2018 DE TENNIS CANADA

Tennis Canada announced on Wednesday that Eugenie Bouchard is the winner of the 2018 Excellence Awards in the Female Player of the Year and Singles Player of the Year categories.
TENNIS NEWS • CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS • TOMMY HAAS, TAYLOR FRITZ, STEVE JOHNSON, MARDY FISH AND MORE thumbnail

TENNIS NEWS • CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS • TOMMY HAAS, TAYLOR FRITZ, STEVE JOHNSON, MARDY FISH AND MORE

Time to get tickets to watch! Surly you have heard about The Largest Open Tennis Event in America!
TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL CONFIRMS RETURN TO PRACTICE, EYES ABU DHABI EXHIBITION AND AUSTRALIAN SUMMER thumbnail

TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL CONFIRMS RETURN TO PRACTICE, EYES ABU DHABI EXHIBITION AND AUSTRALIAN SUMMER

According to Uncle Toni, Rafael Nadal was supposed to be back at practice on either Dec. 4 or 5. Well, better late than never!
Conchita Martínez prepara la temporada 2019 de Karolina Pliskova en Tenerife thumbnail

Conchita Martínez prepara la temporada 2019 de Karolina Pliskova en Tenerife

Española y checa ya trabajaron juntas durante el pasado Open de Estados Unidos
ALEJANDRO’S FAVORITE PHOTOS FOR 10SBALLS FROM SOME OF THIS YEAR’S TOURNAMENTS thumbnail

ALEJANDRO’S FAVORITE PHOTOS FOR 10SBALLS FROM SOME OF THIS YEAR’S TOURNAMENTS

Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia hits a forehand to Kaia Kanepi of Estonia during her second round match at the Nature Valley International tennis tournament in Eastbourne, Great Britain, on Tuesday, June 26, 2018.