Rafael Nadal, bidding for a fifth consecutive Monte Carlo Masters title, reached the third round on Wednesday by racking up his 134th clay-court win, against just four defeats, since 2005.
Roger Federer also breezed through to stay on course for a fourth consecutive final appearance as the build-up to the French Open continues.
Federer saw off Italian Andreas Seppi 6-4, 6-4 and will face Swiss compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka for a place in the quarter-finals.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Nadal recovered from dropping serve twice to beat dogged Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela 6-2, 6-3 and will next face Ecuador’s Nicolas Lapentti, who defeated Marat Safin.
The volatile Russian, who squandered a 5-2 third-set lead as well as three match points, flirted with disqualification as his hopes crumbled.
Federer, the second seed, was kept on his toes as Seppi saved three match points in the penultimate game on his own serve, before the Swiss brought proceedings to a close after 1 hour 23 minutes.
PHOTO: AP
“Maybe I could have made it easier for myself in the second [set],” Federer said. “I had some opportunities. He hung in there and I didn’t play my best.”
Nadal is hoping to repeat his superman act of past clay-court seasons as the four-time French Open champion begins another long haul toward Paris.
“I played some games well and also had some terrible games,” said Nadal, who has defeated Federer in the last three finals. “In the beginning of the second, after two games, I was really bad. I was up and down during all the match.”
Qualifier Lapentti won a roller-coaster three-and-a-half-hour marathon against Safin.
The Russian lived up to his reputation, wasting three match points and coming within a hairs breadth of a racket smash.
Lapentti held on through the drama to advance 7-6 (8/6), 2-6, 7-6 (8/6).
Croatian veteran Ivan Ljubicic upset fifth seed Juan Martin Del Potro 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, but his 14th seeded compatriot Marin Cilic was humbled by Fabio Fognini 6-2, 6-0.
Nikolay Davydenko, seeded sixth, returned to the circuit after two months out with a heel injury and enjoyed a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic.
Spanish seventh seed Fernando Verdasco advanced over German Philip Kohlschreiber 6-3, 6-4, while Argentine No. 12 David Nalbandian staged a fightback to get past Spaniard Marcello Granollers 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
Wawrinka, the 13th seed, lines up against Federer after winning a 2 hour, 37 minute marathon over Argentine Marcello Vassallo Arguello 2-6, 7-5, 6-2.
■FAMILY CIRCLE CUPREUTERS, CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA
Second seed Venus Williams needed three sets to beat battling Indian Sania Mirza 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 in the second round of the Family Circle Cup on Wednesday.
After dominating the opening set, Williams found herself in trouble in the second with the 100th-ranked Indian producing some great defense to save 10 out of 11 break points, while breaking the American twice.
Williams finally took control of the match in the third set, dominating Mirza to finally move on after a battle lasting almost two hours.
Williams will face Sabine Lisicki, seeded 16th, in the third round after the German beat Slovakia’s Lenka Wienerova 6-4, 6-3.
American Melanie Oudin also advanced to the third round with an upset 7-5, 6-0 victory over No. 29 Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada, the ninth seed.
Fifth-seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark continued her progress with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Russian Alla Kudryavtseva, but No. 8 seed Patty Schnyder of Switzerland was eliminated by Russia’s Elena Vesnina 2-6, 7-6, 5-7.
China’s Peng Shuai advanced, but only just, with a 7-5, 2-6, 7-5 victory over Akgul Amanmuradova of Uzbekistan.
There was a surprise in the all-Ukrainian clash between 11th seed Alona Bondarenko and lower ranked Viktoriya Kutuzova, who ran out the 6-4, 7-5 winner. Russian Anastasia Rodionova beat American 12th seed Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-2, 6-4 to go through.
MARRED FINAL: As most of Senegalese players walked off the pitch after a controversial decision, some supporters threw objects and attempted to get onto the pitch Senegal on Sunday won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as Pape Gueye’s extra-time winner sunk hosts Morocco 1-0 after a chaotic final that saw the eventual champions storm off the pitch late in the game. Brahim Diaz could have won the trophy for Morocco with a controversial spot-kick in the 24th minute of added time at the end of normal time as ugly scenes broke out in the stands. However, Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy easily saved the weak attempted “Panenka” chip by the Real Madrid winger, who was clearly distracted by the long delay that followed the penalty award.
James Harden on Friday scored 31 points and came up big in overtime to help the Los Angeles Clippers erase a double-digit deficit on the way to a 121-117 NBA victory over the Toronto Raptors. Harden scored 16 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Clippers pushed their wining steak to five games despite the absence of star Kawhi Leonard with a sprained right ankle. The Clippers trailed by 11 entering the fourth quarter, but Harden drilled a pair of free-throws with 1:24 left in regulation to tie it and after misses from both teams, they went to
Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg on Wednesday was ruled out for the second half of their 118-109 loss to the Denver Nuggets after the No. 1 pick sprained his left ankle in the first half. Flagg was called for a foul while defending against Peyton Watson and turned the ankle as he fell to the floor with 6 minutes, 1 second left in the second quarter. Flagg limped to the bench and continued to the locker room, but returned for the final 2 minutes, 35 seconds before the break. The 19-year-old did not come out for the second half before the announcement that
Yassine Bounou on Wednesday saved two penalties, while Youssef en-Nesyri netted the decisive spot-kick as hosts Morocco secured a 4-2 shoot-out victory over Nigeria following a 0-0 draw in a tense Africa Cup of Nations semi-final in Rabat. Morocco, seeking their first continental title in 50 years, are to face 2021 winners Senegal in Sunday’s decider in Rabat, while Nigeria take on Egypt in the third-place playoff tomorrow. The 120 minutes before the shoot-out had few clear-cut chances for either side, but it was Morocco who created more opportunities, although they were denied by some fine saves from Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali. Nigeria
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