Rafael Nadal returns to a grass final for the first time since 2011 at Wimbledon
and for the first time since 2008 (Queen's) in a tournament other than the grand Championship at the All England Club. In 1 hour and 19 minutes, Nadal (who on Friday withdrew from the doubles semifinal against Peya-Soares, accompanied by Feliciano Lopez, due to fatigue)
secured his eleventh victory over Gaël Monfils in 13 matches and advanced to the final on Sunday at the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart. The score was a solid 6-3 and 6-4 for Nadal, who will face Troicki or Marin Cilic in the final: second semifinal, coming up next.
This semifinal was Nadal and Monfils' first encounter on grass: on the already worn-out grass of the Weissenhof Tennis Club, where, at 24 degrees and with 55% humidity, Nadal's forehands resounded like stones or kicks: dynamite cartridges twirled on the bare grass of the baseline, with the same balls that will be used at Wimbledon. In the first game, which lasted eight minutes, Rafa took control after saving three break points. With a controlled backhand and lifted forehands, Nadal broke to take a 4-2 lead after Monfils' double fault... which Toni Nadal saw coming clearly from the stands.
The bare grass caused strange bounces, so Nadal launched himself to the net with volleys and left-handed touch shots, with a certain 'retro' feel: a la John McEnroe. With 4-4 in the second set, Monfils, already under pressure, had another catastrophic service game... and the Frenchman's fifth double fault led to Nadal's second break (2/6): immediately after, Rafa sealed his spot in the final by closing out his final service game to love. Monfils hit 11 aces and Nadal... zero, but Rafa capitalized on 76% of his first serve points and 66% of his second serve points, much better than Monfils: 72% and 41% in these departments.
"Gaël Monfils is one of the most charismatic players on the circuit. He always puts on a show for the fans, he is a good person and a friend of mine. He does many different things. He can be aggressive and quickly switch to defensive sequences. You have to be very attentive and focused to beat him. This tournament was very important to me after losing at Roland Garros and after a tough first three months of the year. I have been training and playing well; in the last month, I have been feeling better and better. I enjoy it. I am in the final and I will give my best to win the title here for the third time. Stuttgart has been good to me and in Mallorca, I have strong connections to Stuttgart and Germany. I hope the final goes well for me," anticipated Rafa Nadal still on the grass of the Weissenhof Tennis Club.