According to the report from Tennis World Rafael Nadal beat Juan Monaco on Sunday (Mar 1) by 6-4, 6-1 to win the Argentina Open, claiming his first title since Roland Garros last year and nabbing a slice of tennis history as well.
From the sports news, Rain had delayed the start of the match and there was a further hold-up at 1-1 in the opening set, but once play got started, the Spaniard swept to an easy victory.
On clay court title it was Nadal’s 46th title, moving him within three of the record set by Argentine Guillermo Vilas when he played in the 1970s and early 1980s. Vilas, ranked No. 2 in the world in 1975, won a total of 62 singles titles. The 62-year-old former player was at the final in Buenos Aires on Sunday.
It is the seventh consecutive year that a Spaniard player has won the Argentina Open. David Ferrer won three titles in a row from 2012-2014.
Former World No. 10 Monaco was bidding to become the first home grown Argentina Open champion since Nalbandian won the title in 2008. Appearing in an Tour singles final for the ninth straight year, the Tandil native was looking for his ninth title overall.
In the heart biting l game Monaco made a poor start to the second as he was broken in each of his first two service games and there was no way back for a player bidding to join fellow countryman David Nalbandian in winning the tournament.
The Spanish tennis star was the top seed in the tournament and dominated his opponents in route to his46th title on clay court. But on the other side Nadal has been hampered by injury and illness since his Roland Garros triumph last June and lost out to Fabio Fognini in the semifinals of the Rio Open last week.
According to the report Nadal was playing in the first event for the first time in 10 years and his victory is a morale-booster after going out early in Qatar and exiting the Australian Open ahead of his clay court swing in South America.
After win the Argentina title, former number 1 Nadal said “I’m coming off a season that has not been easy – injuries, accidents,” who had to cope with wrist trouble and an appendectomy in 2014. “The beginning of this year has been a bit tricky after some time out, but little by little we have found positive feelings.” But the 28-year-old Spaniard came back in February the following year and went on to win 10 titles and recover his number one ranking.