David Ferrer claimed a stunning victory over his fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal to reach the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters on Friday.
Top seed Nadal, eight times a winner of the French Open, had been aiming to recapture the Monte Carlo title after an eight-year unbeaten stretch at the tournament was halted by Novak Djokovic in the final 12 months ago.
Another final showdown between Djokovic and Nadal looked on the cards, but the sixth seed Ferrer was determined not to be a makeweight and earned a remarkable 7-6, 6-4 victory.
“I have had to wait 10 years to beat him on clay. It was a long wait but I am pleased with the win and the way I played,” Ferrer said. “I spoke with my coach and we had a clear gameplan, but with Rafa it’s always tough because he doesn’t allow you to follow it. The good thing was I was able to deal with his attacks and stay strong physically for the whole match.”
Nadal said he did not manage to stick to his own plan. “I didn’t play the right way. I didn’t play with the right intensity with my forehand,” he said. “I played too short. I gave him the chance to have the control of the point almost all the time.”
Ferrer built a 5-2 lead in the second set before a wobble on his serve gave Nadal hope. But on his second attempt to serve out the match, Ferrer got the job done. At 30-all a powerful forehand inside the right sideline was too good for Nadal, setting up match point. He did not need to find another winner as Nadal netted.
