Nadal Defeats Monfils to Capture Japan Open Title
Top-ranked Rafael Nadal defeated fifth-seeded Gael Monfils 6-1, 7-5 to win his first Japan Open title Sunday and rebound from a surprise semifinal loss in Bangkok last week. Nadal roared out in the first set, breaking Monfils in the second and sixth games and keeping the Frenchman off the net with deep, well-placed returns that sealed it up in just 25 minutes at 6-1.
Monfils regained some momentum early in the second set, delivering strong serves and crosscourt returns—and pleasing the crowd with acrobatic saves. But Nadal battled in the 11th game, breaking Monfils’ serve with a long return shot just out of reach that put him ahead 6-5. He then held his serve to take the next game and the match at 7-5.
Nadal, who has won nine career Grand Slam titles and seven of eight finals this season, went into the match a heavy favorite, having beaten Monfils in six of their last seven meetings. His only loss to the Frenchman came last year at the Quatar Open.
Though he breezed through his early matches in Tokyo, winning in straight sets, that fatigue showed in his semifinal against unseeded Viktor Troicki, who was at match point twice and forced the top-seeded Nadal into two tiebreakers before he finally capitalized on the Serb’s sloppy play.
Nadal had only one ace, to nine served up by Monfils, but won 90 percent of points on first serves.
