Rafa Nadal won his first title of the season, defeating top-ranked Roger Federer yet again on clay to claim his fourth consecutive Monte Carlo Masters. The second-ranked Spaniard won 7-5, 7-5 Sunday, and improved his clay-court record over Federer to 7-1.

"Winning four times here is unimaginable," said Nadal, who earned his 24th career title. "Roger played a great match. We always have good finals." Rafa has won 98 of his last 99 matches on clay, with a loss to Federer in the 2007 Hamburg final the only blip.

The Swiss star blew commanding leads in each set, breaking Nadal to lead 4-3 in the first and racing to a 4-0 lead in the second.

"Disappointing second set," Federer said. "After playing the right way against him and then letting him back into the match, it was disappointing. Maybe I didn't play my best."..."He deserves to win," Federer said. "I'm pushing Rafa today, having the feeling I can beat him if I play the right way. And I think that's the feeling I didn't have after (Monte Carlo) last year.

Rafa is the only player in the Open era to win four straight titles at Monte Carlo, and the first since Anthony Wilding of New Zealand (1911-14). Rafa has won 22 consecutive matches at Monte Carlo since losing to Guillermo Coria in the third round in 2003. Federer was the last person to take a set from him in the 2006 final. Rafa missed 2004 with injury.

The three-time French Open champion is 19-1 in clay-court finals, while Federer dropped to 7-8 on his least favorite surface. The 12-time Grand Slam champion has never won the French Open, the only major title missing from his resume.

Still, Rafa thinks Federer remains the best, despite a slower start to the season. Federer picked up his first win of the season last week at the Estoril Open.

"I think he doesn't get enough credit," Rafa said. "It is impossible to be at 100 percent all your career, he is still No. 1, the best in the world."

Relying too much on his forehand, Federer also missed routine volleys at the net, and made 44 unforced errors. Federer seemed poised to even the match after hitting some near-perfect winners down the line and taking a 4-0 lead in the second set. Rafa struggled to hold his serve in the fifth game, but turned the match around.

Rafa rallied to 4-3, and Federer had four consecutive errors in the eighth game to lose his serve at love. A weak backhand gave Nadal the match point and he took it at the first opportunity, before sliding on his back and raising both fists in the air.

"The amount of times I got broken today wasn't what I was hoping for," Federer said. "But at least I was finally able to break him also on (four) occasions, which is the good part." Federer won only 29 percent of his second-serve points, which even alarmed Rafa.

"A little bit strange because that's not normal, no?," Rafa said. "He's a big server." Both players looked nervous on serve in the first set, swapping breaks for 1-1.

Federer saved a break point in the sixth game and dominated Rafa at the net in the seventh, breaking him to move ahead 4-3. Rafa enjoyed some luck to break back to 4-4.

A loose return bounced on the baseline and surprised Federer, who returned it into the net. Then, on breakpoint, Rafa's powerful forehand clipped the net and sent Federer the wrong way. In the 12th game, Federer drew Nadal into the net but hesitated before trying a slice backhand that Rafa easily read and flicked back to take the opening set.

Federer started out strongly in the second set with crisp volleys and confusing angles. He broke Rafa at love in the third game, then easily held for 4-0 before Nadal rallied.

Rafa Nadal has reached the finals of the Monte Carlo Masters Series event in both singles (after beating Nikolay Davydenko in straight sets 6-3 6-2) and doubles, (after beating Jonas Bjorkman and Kevin Ullyjet 5-7, 7-6 y 10-7).

The world number two went into the semi-final with form on his side, having made the final in each of the past four events and not lost a set since his victory over Roger Federer in 2006.

Though he recently beat the 21-year-old to win the Miami Masters, the Russian never looked like threatening this impressive record and Rafa managed to win the first set 6-3 without having to face a break point.

Despite Davydenko then breaking Rafa's serve early in the second set, the Spaniard then broke back himself twice, allowing him to take the second and decisive set 6-2.

The result means the Rafael will face world number one, Roger Federer in the final as he attempts to become the first player since New Zealander Anthony Wilding in 1914 to win four titles in a row.

Of his last 98 matches on clay, Nadal has won an impressive 97, though he could face a stiff test should Federer get through his semi-final, with the Swiss recently declaring that he felt he was getting back to playing his best tennis for some time after what has been, by his standards, a blip in form.

Rafa Nadal remained on course for a record fourth straight Monte Carlo Masters title after beating Spanish compatriot David Ferrer 6-1 7-5 to reach the semi-finals.

Rafael allowed Ferrer just 14 points in a one-sided first set. However, last year's Masters Cup finalist got back on track in the second, challenging his opponent with forehand winners to lead 3-0, 40-15.

Rafa then fought back and pulled two breaks back, levelling at 5-5 after Ferrer squandered three set points. He wasted two more break points, leaving the three-times French Open champion to wrap it up with a superb passing shot on Ferrer's serve.

Rafa has yet to lose a set in Monte Carlo since the 2006 final against Roger Federer, who is still on track to meet Rafa in the final after playing his best match of the season on clay by beating David Nalbandian 5-7 6-2 6-2.

Rafa Nadal, three-time champion, moved one step closer to his dream final after beating Spanish compatriot Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-4, 6-1 to book a place in the quarter-finals.

Rafa recorded his sixth career win over Ferrero and will now face another Spaniard, fifth seed David Ferrer, for a semi-final berth. Rafa, 21, took his record at the Monte Carlo Country Club to 21 wins in 22 matches with his only loss coming against Argentina's Guillermo Coria in the third round in 2003.

"It's never easy to play Juan Carlos on clay so to beat him 6-4, 6-1 is a very good win for me," said Nadal who has now racked up 95 wins in 96 matches on clay since April 2005"...."I've had a great start beating Mario [Ancic] in the first round and now Juan Carlos".

"The first claycourt tournament of the year is never easy especially this season because I played Davis Cup indoors in Germany last week. Then I had a few days at home in Mallorca before coming here to prepare for three days."

The triple French Open champion broke in the fourth game of the first set to lead 3-1 before 13th-seed Ferrero, twice a champion in 2002 and 2003, hit back in the seventh game. However Rafa wrapped up the opening set with a vicious, deep forehand on his fourth set point.

Rafa was ahead at 2-0 in the second set with a punishing forehand return of a weak Ferrero second service and that soon became 4-0 with a well-placed drop shot.The duo then exchanged breaks which left Nadal with a 5-1 lead which he converted into victory courtesy of a smooth forehand pass.

Rafa Nadal booked his place in the third round of the Monte-Carlo Masters after a convincing win over Mario Ancic.

The Spanish ace looked comfortable throughout his first match of the year on clay as he picked up points with ease against his Croatian opponent. It didn't take long for the 21-year-old to claim the 6-0 6-3 victory, as he dominated the match from the first serve and rarely loosened his grip to allow Ancic in.

The man who is nicknamed 'El Matador' displayed a combination of power, skill, and accuracy to back-up a cunning gameplan that saw his opponent be stretched all over the court in chase of angled shots.

There was no pity shown from Rafa, and no reactions to this being his first competitive match on clay this year. He simply stormed into the next round by using every aspect of his counterpuncher style.

He will now face fellow Spanaird Juan Carlos Ferrero, who beat Finland's Jarkko Nieminen 6-3 6-3 in their intriguing match.

Three-time defending champion Rafa Nadal leads the first clay ATP Masters Series tournament of the year. The 21-year-old Spaniard, who has won the tittle the last two years, makes his season debut on clay againt Mario Ancic.

Super Mario, whose career was undermined by crippling glandular fever, moved into the Monte Carlo Masters second round where he will face a challenge just as daunting in the shape of claycourt specialist Rafal Nadal.

Croatian Ancic, a former top 10 player and Davis Cup winner, was sidelined for six months in 2007 with mononucleosis, the same ailment which struck down world No.1 Roger Federer earlier this year. But the 24-year-old, a Monaco resident, justified his wildcard award by easing past Czech qualifier Ivo Minar 6-3, 6-4 to set-up a second round meeting with Rafa, the triple champion here whose wins in 2005, 2006 and 2007 prefaced three French Open triumphs.

Ancic, now ranked 55 in the world, has won one of three career meetings with the Spanish left-hander, but the last came in 2004. Rafa, the world No.2, will be making his 2008 claycourt bow with a formidable record of 107 wins from 110 matches on his favourite surface in the last three years. It's a run which has also yielded 17 claycourt titles.

Djokovic, making his season debut on clay, will play the winner of former two-time champion Gustavo Kuerten-Ivan Ljubicic (Kuerten leads Ljubicic 5-1) in his opening round match. Djokovic could meet No. 14 seed Andy Murray (vs. Feliciano Lopez) in the third round. Gasquet takes on the Andreas Seppi-Fabrice Santoro winner and the first seed he could play is No. 10 Carlos Moya (vs. Sam Querrey), the 1998 champion and '02 runner-up.

Moya has a 26-11 career record in Monte Carlo but he's looking to break a three-match first round losing streak since reaching the semifinals in 2004. In the bottom half of the draw (third section), Russians Nikolay Davydenko (No. 4) and Mikhail Youzhny (No. 8) are the highest seeds. Davydenko will open against the Nicolas Kiefer-Juan Ignacio Chela winner and could meet No. 16 and last year's quarterfinalist Philipp Kohlschreiber (vs. Jose Acasuso) in the third round.

Youzhny will face either countryman Igor Andreev or Dmitry Tursunov in his opening round match and possibly No. 11 Juan Monaco or unseeded Nicolas Almagro in the third round. In the last section, No. 2 Rafa Rafa could meet two countrymen in the later rounds. No. 13 seed and former two-time champion Juan Carlos Ferrero (Rafa leads 5-1) is a possible third round opponent and No. 5 David Ferrer (Rafa leads 4-3, including 3-1 on clay), a three-time Monte Carlo quarterfinalist, in the quarters.

Rafael Nadal has joined the rest of the country’s Davis Cup team in Bremen who are preparing for the quarter final games this weekend against Germany.

Spain is using two three hour training sessions, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. David Ferrer, Feliciano López and Fernando Verdasco make up the rest of the Spanish team, with Emilio Sánchez Vicario acting as captain.

He said that the team understood that the round was a complicated one, and that was why the team were preparing as best they can. David Ferrer noted that all the Spaniards were adapting to the court well which he described as fast ‘but correct’.

Rafa Nadal won’t let a Miami Masters loss to Nikolay Davydenko spoil a season in which he has had fantastic results. (He's reached the semi-final round (at least) at all of the tournaments his participated in since the start of the season) While he admitted disappointment after going down 6-4, 6-1 to the Russian, it’s not all gloom and doom.

Within two weeks, the Spaniard will launch a clay season where he is defending not only a third Roland Garros title but also trophies in Barcelona, Monte Carlo and Rome. “My goal was to have 1,000 ranking points after Miami. I’ll have, I don’t know, 1,200, 1,250, something like this. It’s a lot of points on three months, so I’m happy for that,” Rafa said.

He now jets off to Bremen for next weekend’s Davis Cup quarterfinal against Germany. “I’m thinking about Davis Cup now. It’s important competition for us,” Nadal said. “Later, I’m sure I’ll think of the clay season. This tournament will give me, I think, positive feeling for the clay season.”

Rafa admitted that his form was off the boil against Davydenko as the number four won in less than 90 minutes with minimal resistance. “Today I didn’t play my best. He played well, and I lost. When you don’t play at 100 percent at this level against top players, it’s tough to win, especially hard court,” Nadal said. “I played a very good tournament against very good players, regularly in final, semi-final. That’s always positive. When you are there every week, finally, you going to win. I have to be happy about the last weeks, because I improved my level a lot.”

RAFA'S PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER THE MATCH

N. DAVYDENKO/R. Nadal 6 4, 6 2

An interview with: RAFAEL NADAL

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Has Nikolay improved since you last played him? Does he do anything differently now? RAFAEL NADAL: What?

Q. Has Nikolay improved since you last played him? Does he do anything differently? RAFAEL NADAL: No, I don't think so, no? He's always a big player, no? No. 4 in the world, No. 3, No. 5, since three years, no? He's a big player.

Q. Were you surprised at just how aggressive Nikolay was today? He seemed to be standing very close to the baseline, taking a lot of balls on the rise, taking a lot of time away from you. Were you surprised by his aggression today? RAFAEL NADAL: No. I think he play a good level. He played good match, but I didn't play well today. So when you don't play at 100% at this level against top players, it's tough win, especially on hard surface. So I congratulate him more because he play better than me. I played very good tournament. I won against very good players. I played at my best level against Berdych, against Blake, against Mathieu. So for that reason I beat against these top players. Today I didn't play my best. He play well and I lose.

Q. Were you 100% fit physically? Are you feeling well? RAFAEL NADAL: I feel perfect. I feel good. I didn't have any problems, so just today I I didn't found my rhythm on court, so it was tough since the beginning. I can't against wind was impossible for me to win on my serve. If I win serves against wind is impossible to win the match.

Q. Especially your forehand today? RAFAEL NADAL: My forehand?

Q. Yeah. RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know outside court, but inside the court I think is the backhand, not the forehand.

Q. Do you think that Nikolay is sort of the guy that at least here we don't hear that much about? You know, everyone writes about you and Roger and Andy. Do you think he's kind of the forgotten guy in the top 5? People don't give him enough credit? RAFAEL NADAL: I don't think so, no. He's well, he's a different kind of player, for sure. He's he's a big player, but the people and you, you like to write more about Roger, about me, about Djokovic, about Roddick. But one player can't be three years in Masters Series or this year going to be the fourth without being a very, very good player. So the people outside tennis can think different, can think about different way about Nikolay, but we know he's a very, very good player.

Q. What are the things that make him different, and what makes him particularly difficult to play? RAFAEL NADAL: I say before, I think he didn't do nothing different. He start play much better. He played very good level. I didn't play good match. That's it. Sometimes we all have to think more than the match, so the match was I didn't play well. He play very well, especially after 3 3, because in the beginning I think he wasn't play very good, too. But, anyway, I didn't play well, too. So later he start he come back, and in one moment of the match, in the 3 All, I have one break point, important point. I didn't win this point. I have one mistake with the forehand. After this point he start playing match much better. It was a big change because he was doing some mistakes. I was doing the same mistakes, too, but at this moment he changed a lot in the match. He start playing much better and was big change for me, no? And I didn't found a way. I didn't see the way for for try to change the match, no?

Q. I know it's very soon after the match for you, but would you be able to turn your mind to thinking about the clay court season, which is about to begin, and a few thoughts about the part of the season you like best? RAFAEL NADAL: Right now I have Davis Cup, so I don't think about I think about Davis Cup now. It's important competition for us. Later I sure I'm going to think on clay season, but right now this is the tournament going to give me, I think, positive feeling for the clay season, no? I play very good tournament against very good players, regularly in final, semifinal, semifinal. That's always positive. When you are there every week finally you going to win. I think this. So for sure it's tough. I was playing very, very good tennis, but at the same time, I have to be happy about myself, about the last weeks, because I improve a lot my level, tennis level, and I was there all the time. I think soon I going to win a title, no? I hope so. I hope so in Monte Carlo.

Q. You said that he didn't change his style, but is there something about his style that didn't allow you to get into your rhythm, or was it just one of those days for you? RAFAEL NADAL: I say it three times. I didn't feel my rhythm on court, so I play bad game today. It's difficult to say more things. I said before he play better than me. For that reason he beat me. He play more aggressive, with more good feelings, forehand, backhand volley, dropshot. I can't win against player doing everything better than me today. Today, I didn't play my tennis.

Q. The fact that they've switched to a two out of three format, seems like it would be a particular disadvantage to a player like yourself. I wonder how you and others feel about the switch from three out of five to two out of three in the scoring. RAFAEL NADAL: I think it's a positive change for the players, because we have the calendar very tight, very tough all the time, a lot of straight weeks and tough for us to play final with five sets. But the intention of tennis is five sets. Big matches I remember some of the big matches, I know I played big matches, if I played big matches, was always five sets. At the same time, it is disappointing for me.

Q. With the results of tournaments at that start of this year, do you see the men's side being wide open right now as far as who's going to become the dominant player? RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. You know, we have only three months already on the season. Roger have lose more than usually, but it wasn't due to bad results. He's not far away about his level. Djokovic is unbelievable, but at the same time, I am not so far away than Djokovic, too. Play very good start of the season. My goal was have 1,000 points after Miami. I say before the season my goal is have 1,000 points in Miami and I will have, I don't know, 1,200, 1,250, something like this. I improve my goal. Last year I have in this moment, this tournament, when I finish winning the Indian Wells I have 1025 points. I improve. It's a lot of points on three months, so happy for that.

What a difference a set makes. Facing James Blake in the quarterfinals of the Sony Ericsson Open Wednesday, Rafa Nadal found his switch at the beginning of the second set and turned it on to finish off the ninth-ranked Blake and punch his ticket to the semifinals.

Rafa, who lost his first three career matches against the American, made it two straight against Blake, also topping him in the quarterfinals of Indian Wells last week. “I think we play very tough matches, both at Indian Wells and here. He started playing so aggressive, and I didn’t have many chances in the beginning.” Rafa said.

“So later I won a very important point. One 15-30 with one long volley (I won) with a backhand. That changed the match a little. And later I had the break in the 4-3. That was the turn of the match.”

With the point came a lion’s roar from Rafa, and a 3-6 first set characterized by sluggish play gave way to a second and third set in which the Spaniard allowed Blake only one more game.Rafa finished out the final two sets 6-3, 6-1.

“I felt like I wasn’t volleying very well, and I wasn’t attacking that much. I got a little too passive and let him dictate play,” Blake said. “Today I felt like towards the end of the match I was playing much, much too passive, and that’s frustrating.”

Rafa will face the winner of the Nikolay Davydenko and Janko Tipsarevic quarterfinal matchup, which will take place Thursday at 1 p.m.

Davis Cup Update: Rafa Nadal will play for Spain when his country visits Germany in the Davis Cup quarterfinals. The second-ranked Nadal skipped Spain's opening win over Peru in February, but he was on the official team list released Tuesday by the International Tennis Federation.

The defending champion United States already announced its squad, with Andy Roddick, James Blake and Bob and Mike Bryan chosen for the best-of-five series against visiting France. Russia hosts the Czech Republic and Argentina hosts Sweden in the other quarterfinal matchups on April 11-13.

Miami: Rafael Nadal will take on Paul-Henri Mathieu for the eighth time in his career for a spot in the quarterfinals.

On Sunday night, Rafael Nadal showed the tennis world precisely what he is capable of on hard courts. Watching the masterful performance he displayed against a completely helpless Nicolas Kiefer in their third round match on Sunday night, one wonders that his hard court game has ever been questioned. It often has due in large part to his lack of success at the US Open. The surface in Miami, of course, compliments his game. High bouncing and relatively slow, giving him plenty of time to set up those killer forehands he unleashed against Kiefer.

Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu has suffered defeat at the hands of Nadal seven times in his career. He has not, in fact, ever beaten the Spaniard though he has come close on numerous occasions. A notable instance was the set he took from Nadal at the French Open in 2006. This was no easy feat, as Nadal has never lost a match at Roland Garros, and in fact has not been taken to five sets at the clay Grand Slam event. Each of the three sets Mathieu has taken from Nadal in their various matches have all been first set victories. He often manages to come out of the gate running, but loses steam as the match goes on. Nadal is, quite simply, a better big match player.

The Spaniard has breezed through his first two matches, beating German Benjamin Becker in straight sets and then dispatching of Becker's countryman Nicolas Kiefer with ease. Mathieu has not had such an easy road to the round of 16. Marin Cilic took a set from the Frenchman in the second round, and Nadal's good friend Carlos Moya gave him everything he could handle before Mathieu prevailed 7-6 (1), 7-5 in round 3. Given Nadal's current form, it is difficult to imagine that Mathieu will have enough game to get past the Spaniard. Nadal in 2.