Best ATP Matches Of 2016: Part 1

5. Rafael Nadal d. Gael Monfils 7-5, 5-7, 6-0/F/Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters

At the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, it was best if you had simply forgotten about the Gael Monfils you had once known – the fun, care-free player who liked to entertain as much as he liked to win. Because the Monfils who had dashed through to the Monte-Carlo final was not that Monfils.

This Monfils had gone a perfect 10-0 in sets, racing to his third ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title match. He had beaten Jiri Vesely – the left-hander who had upset World No. 1 Novak Djokovic – 6-1, 6-2, and Monfils had dominated countryman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 6-1, 6-3 in the semi-finals.

So impressive had Monfils been that it looked as if he had a legit chance to beat Rafael Nadal in the Monte-Carlo final. But Monfils would have to deliver his very best performance. He had beaten Nadal only two times in 13 FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings, and he had lost all four of their previous clay-court matches.

Nadal wasn’t invincible, though. He had won eight Monte-Carlo titles and did boast a 57-4 record at the tournament. But he also hadn’t won a Masters 1000 title for almost two years, and he hadn’t taken the Monte-Carlo crown since 2012. So a Nadal victory, despite his wins against Stan Wawrinka (QF) and Andy Murray (SF), wasn’t an easy putaway.

The final began up in the air as well. Nadal broke early to lead 3-1 but Monfils broke back the very next game and crushed a forehand down the line to make it 3-3. The all-out forehand would become Monfils’ go-to shot against Nadal, who chased down most everything else. Wary of extending the rallies too long, Monfils would set his feet and blast a forehand winner to roars from the Sunday crowd.

Nadal was too good in the first set, though, and the second set showed more back-and-forth tennis. Nadal was wearing the Frenchman down with his grinding clay-court game and by effectively using his own down-the-line forehand to keep Monfils off-balance.

But Monfils wasn’t caving to the Spaniard. He was exerting every ounce of energy he had and attempting to step into the court. He’d finish the match with 28 winners and serve out the second set to force a decider.

But after two exhilarating sets, Nadal had worn Monfils down. On match point, Nadal, on a dead sprint, leaned back once more and ripped a forehand winner down the line. He then fell to his knees, a champion in Monte-Carlo for the ninth time.

“In the third, the most important moment, I decided, OK, now I have to go for the shots. Now I have to hit my forehand deeper and go more for winners. I did and that was the difference,” Nadal said. “The first two sets were unbelievably tough. So many big points. But that’s a great final and an unbelievable victory for me. [I’m] so very emotional and very happy.”

4. Novak Djokovic d. Rafael Nadal 7-5, 7-6(4)/QF/Internazionali BNL d’Italia

Before Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal met in the Rome quarter-finals, this much had been settled: Nadal, the King of Clay, was again nearing top form on the European dirt.

His status had been questioned by some after the 2015 season, during which he failed to extend two clay-court title streaks. For the first time since 2009, Nadal didn’t win Roland Garros, and for the first time since 2004, he finished a season without one of the three ATP World Tour Masters 1000 clay-court crowns.

But the Spaniard had shown signs that his play was on the rise. Weeks before Rome, Nadal had beaten Dominic Thiem, Stan Wawrinka, Andy Murray and Gael Monfils to capture the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters title. A week later, Nadal had won his ninth Barcelona crown by beating two-time defending champion Kei Nishikori in the final. Two weeks of clay-court tennis, and Nadal was a perfect 10-0.

But could he overtake Djokovic on clay? Nadal had yet to grab a set off the World No. 1 during their two earlier meetings in Indian Wells and Doha, and Djokovic had won their past six FedEx ATP Head2Head encounters.

But that was the question on everyone’s mind, and it would be answered during the quarter-final at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. Nadal jumped on top, breaking to lead 3-2. But Djokovic, the two-time defending champion, struck back, and they were on serve at 4-4.

Serving at 5-6, Nadal looked to push the first set into a tie-break but Djokovic played relentless defence against the Spaniard. Standing feet behind the baseline, the Serbian kept retrieving until Nadal lured him to the net with a drop shot. Djokovic then flung at a forehand volley to take a one-set lead.

The second set began much like the first. Nadal again grabbed momentum with an early break. This time, he led 5-4 and had five set points but was unable to convert any of them as Djokovic, squatting low to the clay when on defence, absorbed the Spaniard’s best. Djokovic needed only one break point to make it 5-5.

The four-time Rome champion then ended Nadal’s upset bid with a backhand winner in the tie-break. Two hours and 25 minutes after they had started, Djokovic had answered the question on everyone’s mind: Yes, he was still the best player in the world, but Nadal, on clay, was not far behind.

The Serbian would go on to play another memorable match in Rome, overcoming Nishikori in a three-hour semi-final 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(5). For the year, Djokovic would finish 21-4 against the Top 10. He’d have to wait until Toronto, though, to win his 30^th Masters 1000 title. Andy Murray beat Djokovic 6-3, 6-3 in the final.

3. Pablo Cuevas d. Rafael Nadal 6-7(6), 7-6(3), 6-4/SF/Rio Open presented by Claro

It certainly seemed as if Rafael Nadal had come to the right place to reboot his 2016 season. Here he was, the top seed at the Rio Open presented by Claro, the tournament he’d won in 2014 and reached the semi-finals of in 2015. It seemed like here, on the red clay of Brazil, Nadal would play like the man who had reached the Doha final (l. to Djokovic) just a month earlier.

Three matches in, and all was looking promising as well. Nadal had reached the semi-finals without dropping a set. His next opponent was World No. 45 Pablo Cuevas, a player whom he had beaten during all three of their prior FedEx ATP Head2Head match-ups, including their 2015 Rio quarter-final. Recent history also was on Nadal’s side: Only once since 2005 had he lost to a player outside the Top 30 on clay. Beat Cuevas for a fourth time and Nadal would sprint into his second final of the season.

But Cuevas saw the match-up differently. The 30 year old also had played well in Rio the previous year, taking a set off Nadal, and the Uruguayan also felt comfortable on clay. All three of his titles had come on the red dirt.

Nadal got off to the quicker start, though, taking the first-set tie-break. But he faltered as the match wore on. He struggled to handle Cuevas’ power and was unable to convert on the big points. Cuevas finished with 48 winners, including 10 aces, and saved 11/13 break points faced.

The right-hander grabbed a mini-break early in the second-set tie-break to even the match. In the third set, Cuevas saved two break points in the sixth game and rode the momentum to a break in the very next game. He finished Nadal with an ace out wide and dropped to his knees with joy.

“This is my best win,” Cuevas said. “I’m so happy that I played amazing for all the match.”

A day later, he’d have another reason to smile: His fourth ATP World Tour title.

Coming Tuesday: The Best Two ATP Matches Of 2016