Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal - Monte Carlo Final Preview

Djokovic vs Nadal: Who will come out on top?

Barring Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal, the rest of the top 10 had a horrific outing in the ongoing Monte Carlo masters with stalwarts like Murray, Del Potro and Berdych making their exit before the quarters. Amidst the disappointment of the defeats of seeded players who were expected to do well, it was a welcome sight to see two of the best clay-courters making it to today’s final.

Since several questions were raised regarding Djokovic’s fitness level prior to the start of the tournament, we were left wondering if we would be able to witness the much-anticipated clash between him and the emperor of clay courts – Rafael Nadal. But it is official now. The world No.1 Serb is all set to take on the Spaniard, who is currently placed at No.5 in the ATP rankings. For the second time in two years, the arch-rivals are going to lock horns, thereby promising a blockbuster of a final today. Last year though, it was a fairly one-sided contest, as the Serb succumbed to the southpaw rather meekly. Back then, unable to match his Spanish rival, Djoker could not give us the contest we were hoping for.

The Masters event started rather badly for Nole, who dropped the opening set in the first two rounds against Youzhny and Monaco respectively. However, he came out unscathed, winning his last two matches in straight sets. So, it is quite clear that the Serb has overcome his ankle problems and is in the right shape to compete in the final.

Rafael Nadal, the eight-time defending champion, began his quest for the ninth title by demolishing his compatriots without losing a set. However, his streak was almost snapped a couple of days ago, when his quarter final opponent, Grigor Dimitrov, threatened to hand the Spaniard his first defeat in nine years. No one expected the Bulgarian, better known as “Baby Federer”, to put up any sort of fight against the Spaniard. However, the former surprised everyone by taking the match to the third set. Nadal, with all his experience, somehow managed to prevail in the third and final set. Yesterday’s semifinal was not any easier for the King of Clay. Jo Wilfred Tsonga was trailing 1-5 in the second set and was down in the dumps. It was then that the 26-year-old Spaniard looked out of touch for a moment, and the Frenchman capitalized. The match went into the tie-breaker as a result; and though the match was over in straight sets, it ended as a closely fought one between the two.

While Novak struggled in the earlier rounds, Rafa had to deal with his own struggles at the later stages of the tournament. So, does that mean the Serb has an advantage over the Spaniard? Well, if the match was going to happen on a hard court, perhaps. But unfortunately for the world no.1, this happens to be the clay court season and his opponent in the final is without doubt the greatest clay-courter of all time. Therefore, irrespective of how he has performed in the earlier rounds, Nadal is always going to be the favourite to win the championship for ninth straight time.

Today’s final is the third meeting between the two in Monte Carlo. No prizes for guessing as to who won the first two. Rafael Nadal is undefeated for the last nine years in this surface. This year though, Novak Djokovic looks to be more determined to do well on clay. The fact that he made up his mind to participate in the tournament despite not being fully fit speaks volumes of his determination to get this title under his belt. The Serb has moulded well as a clay-courter in the last couple of years and his clay court record in the last two years has been phenomenal. Out of the five finals which he has contested – all against Rafa – he has won two and lost three. So, it is hard to overlook the Serb’s prowess on clay courts, which seems to be improving every day.

Nadal, since his return from the six month layoff, has been in the finals on four occasions, winning three of them including a Masters title at Indian Wells. His forehand seems to have improved, which makes him a much more dangerous contender than before. Djoker’s plot will be to attack Rafa’s backhand consistently by taking the ball early. He has to frustrate the Spaniard by feeding into his weaker side on a regular basis, hoping that he can force errors out of him. He has to play a waiting game and hope that his opponent makes mistakes. But Nadal is called the “King of Clay” for a reason. He has become more attacking nowadays, and seems to be in better touch as compared to last year. Except for a minor blip against Zeballos on his return from injury, he seems to be faring pretty well. He is the man to beat this year; not just on clay, but on all surfaces. I would be very surprised if Novak can dethrone the Emperor of Clay today.

Prediction: Nadal wins in straight sets.