ThrowbackTimes Monte Carlo: Rafael Nadal wins first Masters 1000 crown over Coria

On April 17, 2005, an 18-year-old Rafael Nadal won the first Masters 1000 title in Monte Carlo, beating Guillermo Coria 6-3, 6-1, 0-6, 7-5 in three hours and nine minutes and making the first notable step on his glorious clay-court trail that has made him the most successful player in history on the slowest surface. It was only the tenth tournament for Nadal at this level, making a debut here in Monte Carlo two years ago, competing as the top-20 star after reaching the final of the previous Masters 1000 event in Miami where he squandered a huge lead against Roger Federer to fall in five sets. Pumped and motivated to prove himself on the beloved clay, Nadal stormed over four rivals to reach the semis in Monte Carlo, dropping 14 games in total against Gael Monfils, Xavier Malisse, Olivier Rochus and Gaston Gaudio to advance into the last four where he faced another huge talent born in 1986, Richard Gasquet.

The match lasted two hours and 45 minutes and Rafa had to save a break chance in the seventh game of the deciding set before scoring a crucial break that sent him into the title match. Guillermo Coria was the player who halted Nadal's fantastic run in Monte Carlo 2003 when the Spaniard was still 16, getting an excellent chance to serve revenge and beat the defending champion and last year's Roland Garros finalist. At the age of 18 years, ten months and 14 days, Nadal became the youngest Masters 1000 champion since Michael Chang in Canada 1990 and it is hard to imagine someone who would join them on that list in the years to come. Despite a one-sided scoreboard in the opening three sets, it took more than three hours for Nadal to wrap up the triumph and prevail in the contest between two of the finest clay-courters, winning 14 points more than Guillermo and defending his second serve more efficiently to fend off 11 out of 16 break chances.

Coria struggled to find the pace after missing the first serve, having to play against 20 break opportunities and falling on seven to hand the triumph to his rival despite a chance in the ninth game of the fourth set that could have kept him in contention had he managed to take it. The Argentine had more winners but also more unforced errors, staying close to Rafa in the shortest, mid-range and most extended rallies but trailing a little bit in all of those to finish runner-up in the grueling battle that saw more than 80 exchanges with ten shots or more! Guillermo made a perfect start, winning five points in a row to break Rafa in the first game with a forehand drop shot winner at the net, holding in game two after a 36-stroke rally for a 2-0 lead. Rafa got the break back at 2-3 after a double fault from the Argentine, gaining momentum and coming from a 3-1 down to rattle off five games in a row and clinch the opener 6-3.

Coria sent a backhand long to get broken in game eight and the last game of the set proved to be the longest one of the entire clash, with Nadal serving at 5-3. The Spaniard had to save three break chances as the rain started to increase, wrapping up the set when Coria netted a backhand in the 14th point to move in front. Nadal was the player on the mission at that moment, breaking at love at the beginning of the second set after a forehand mistake from Guillermo and repelling two break opportunities in the next one to confirm the break and seize the seventh consecutive game. Things went from bad to worse for Guillermo who hit a double fault in game five to fall 4-1 behind, losing nine out of the last ten games to find himself in real trouble. Rafa was the better player in the crucial points, fending off two more break points in game six to close it with a service winner and move 5-1 in front, forcing Coria to serve to stay in the set.

The Argentine sprayed four errors to lose serve at love, sending the youngster two sets to love in front as Rafa played better and better, looking good to seal the deal in straight sets. The Spaniard controlled the pace after a slow start, winning 11 of the last 12 games and saving seven out of eight break points he faced since the beginning of the encounter to take a commanding lead before the rest of the clash. Guillermo had to act quickly and made things better as soon as possible in the third set, breaking in the opening game when Nadal played a loose backhand and repeating that in game three after a 23-shot rally and another backhand mistake from the Spaniard in game three. Rafa had a chance to pull one break back a few minutes later but squandered three break chances to find himself 4-0 behind, losing serve for the third time in a row in game five when his forehand finished in the net.

Serving for the set, Coria saved a break point with a service winner and clinched it after another groundstroke error from Nadal, delivering a bagel and gathering boost before the fourth set that he also had to win to stay in contention. Rafa struggled a lot in the last half an hour, hitting only one winner and 19 errors in the third set, unable to maintain the level from the opening two where he had the upper hand. The Spaniard quickly restored the order, breaking Coria in the second game of set number four with a fantastic volley winner and holding in the next game after another excellent point that pushed him 3-0 up. Guillermo came back from a 40-0 down to force a deuce on the return at 1-3 but Nadal managed to hold with a lob winner that sent him 4-1 ahead, moving closer and closer to the finish line. The match could have been over when Coria hit a double fault at 1-4 to offer two break chances to Rafa, digging deep to save them all and bring the game home when Nadal's forehand landed long.

That one became even more significant when Guillermo broke back at 2-4, climbing back to 4-4 after a good hold to get back on the positive side of the scoreboard. A forehand winner gave him a break chance in the ninth game that could have turned the scoreboard around completely, denied by a forehand winner from Nadal in what had been one of the crucial strokes the Spaniard had hit in the entire match. Rafa brought the game home with two more winners to remain in front and they both served well in the following two games, leaving Coria to serve for staying in the match at 5-6. Facing two match points, he saved the first with a forehand winner but Nadal sealed the deal on the second after landing a forehand down the line winner, lifting his first notable title and sending a clear sign he would be the player to beat in the rest of that clay season and for the next 15 years as well! 

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3axZX6M