Runner-up again at Monte Carlo

World number one Roger Federer has finished runner-up to Rafael Nadal at the ATP Masters Series Monte Carlo for the third straight year after losing in two tight sets 7-5 7-5.

The first set saw both players exchanging breaks with Nadal eventually prevailing in the 12th game when he converted the first of two break points as Federer served to stay in the set. Indeed the Swiss had a promising start with an early break for a 1-0 lead but failed to hold serve on his first service game. When he got another opportunity to pull away at 4-3 after another break of serve, that too was all for naught when Nadal broke back immediately.

The second set was essentially deja vu but to a more extreme degree. Federer had an even more incredible start as he played some stunning clay court tennis--including breaking his opponent's serve to love--to race to a 4-0 lead. In a bizarre reversal of fortune, his terrific form deserts him to allow the heavily favoured Spanish champion to level the set at 4-4. Federer then managed to move within a point of bringing the set into a tie break only to have Nadal force a couple of errors off his racquet to earn match point. His hopes of preventing Nadal from claiming a fourth straight title here tellingly ended with a backhand error.

Although it was a disappointing loss, Federer showed that he was capable of breaking Nadal's serve. He kept the pressure on Nadal more successfully than Nadal's previous opponents in the tournament. It was just unfortunate that he was unable to keep his unforced error count down and maintain a more consistent level of play.

While this latest defeat sets back Federer to a 1-7 record in his clay court head-to-head against the three-time Roland Garros champion, his finals appearance together with his title at Estoril last week can at least be taken as positive signs that the tennis superstar is finally on his way back from illness and a poor start to this season.
Photo credit: AP Photo/Claude Paris