Ever since the 1969 edition of the tournament in the Open Era, the Monte Carlo Masters has produced several multiple-time winners like Thomas Muster, Illie Nastasie, Bjorn Borg, Novak Djokovic, etc. However, no one comes close to Rafael Nadal, who won the tournament a whopping 11 times. Fans miss him at this stunning ATP 1000 Masters event in Roqueburne, France.
And the matches that the tournament has seen, has had tennis of the highest quality. Here’s looking at 5 best Monte Carlo Masters matches from the 2000s decade.
Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic 2009 Monte Carlo Masters Final
The 2009 Monte Carlo Masters was the 5th time Rafael Nadal reached the final. He was up against Novak Djokovic, who reached there for the first time in his career. Rafael Nadal easily won the first set 6-3, giving the Serb a taste of his quality on clay.
In the next set, Djokovic made a terrific comeback, winning it 6-2. This was a big moment in the game since Nadal hadn’t lost a set in the Monte-Carlo Masters after the 2006 final. However, Djokovic’s merry run on clay didn’t last long since he lost the last set 1-6 and handed Nadal his 5th title victory.
Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer 2006 Monte Carlo Masters Final
The 2006 Monte Carlo Masters was the 2nd consecutive time Rafael Nadal reached the finals. It was his 2nd shot at the title, as he entered as a defending champion. His opponent was Roger Federer, who was playing in the Monte Carlo Masters Finals for the first time in his career.
It was a 4-set final, where Nadal beat Federer 6-2 in the first one. The second set was a tough tiebreaker, in which Federer slipped past Nadal, 7-6 (7-2). The third set was once again a dominating performance by Nadal, winning it 6-3. However, Federer fought hard in the fourth set to keep the game alive but lost it 6-7 (5-7). On that instance, the tiebreaker didn’t go his way.
Federer vs Djokovic 2006 Round 1
This was the first-ever encounter between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic on a tennis court; the first of their 50-match enduring long rivalry. Roger Federer had entered the tournament as the World No.1, and Djokovic was still a newbie looking to get a foothold on the tennis scene. As Federer won the first set 6-3, it wasn’t something unexpected.
However, Djokovic bounced back very quickly, forcing Federer to make mistakes. He won the second set 6-2 and set up for a thrilling 3rd and final set. Showing greater expertise and experience, Federer won it 6-3. Although Djokovic lost that day, the world got to witness a legend in the making.
Federer vs Gasquet 2005 quarterfinal
In the 2005 edition of the Monte Carlo Masters, Roger Federer and Richard Gasquet played against each other in the quarterfinals. It was huge for Gasquet since he was a qualifier and reached the top 8 for the first time.
Federer, on the other hand, was the topmost-seeded player. In a shocking result, Gasquet beat Federer after losing the first set 6-7 (1-7). The Frenchman won the next two sets 6-2, 7-6 (10-8). With 2 out of 3 sets ending in tiebreaker, it made for one of the best Monte Carlo Masters matches of all time.
Richard Gasquet had an outstanding tournament, having a close shave even against Rafael Nadal in the semi-final match that followed.
Rafael Nadal vs Guillermo Coria 2005 Monte Carlo Masters final
The 2005 Monte Carlo Masters was when Rafael Nadal reached his first-ever final. At merely 18 years of age, Nadal showed class against the more experienced Guillermo Coria, who was also a clay court specialist. He won the first two sets 6-3, 6-1, but surprisingly suffered a ‘bagel’ against Coria in the 3rd set. With 6-3, 6-1, 0-6 as the score, Nadal bounced back like a lion and won the decider set, 7-5 to seal his victory.
