Rafael Nadal won the Monte-Carlo Masters for the eighth straight time with a convincing 6-3, 6-1 win over Novak Djokovic on Sunday. It was a dominating performance by Nadal to open the clay court season, wiping out Djokovic in straight sets for the 47th tournament title of his career. Nadal has struggled to get by the No. 1-ranked Serb recently and while he leads the head-to-head series 17-14, it was his first win against Djokovic since 2010.
2012 Monte-Carlo Masters: Rafael Nadal Defeats Novak Djokovic In Finals
But Djokovic was certainly not in top form as he appeared emotionally drained, dealing with the death of his grandfather, who passed away on Thursday. Novak addressed the mental struggle he faced in the finals, stating:
“I’m just happy to reach the finals really under the circumstances. It’s been a very difficult week for me to go through mentally.”
Nadal pounced on Djokovic right away, promptly breaking the Serb, who committed 25 unforced errors. It was an impressive performance from the clay-court master and could help him build momentum heading into the French Open.
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