ATP Argentina Open
Juan Monaco (9.2) vs. Rafael Nadal (1.11)
SET BETTING
Nadal 2-0– 1.33
Nadal 2-1– 5.3
Monaco 2-0– 20
Monaco 2-1– 27
When Guillermo Vilas won his 46th clay court tournament title, many tennis observers thought the record would never be broken. After all, clay court tennis is only popular in certain parts of the world, and the physical requirements of being a great clay-court player– speed, endurance, durability– can oftentimes only be harnessed for a few short years. Vilas was great, sure, but it was his longevity that made him unique in tennis history. He was 40 years old when he retired in 1992.
Rafa Nadal will not be competing professionally when he’s 40 years old. I think that’s a pretty safe bet. Remarkably, though, he won’t need to sniff 40 to be recognized as the greatest clay court player in history, because with a win over Juan Monaco today he’ll tie Vilas’ mark of 46 clay court titles and he’s still three months shy of his 29th birthday. Yes, it’s been a remarkable run for the Spaniard, and the only thing standing between him and history is good friend and doubles partner Juan Monaco, an Argentinian who is ranked 60th in the world. Monaco has won this tournament before and he played inspired tennis in an upset of Nicolas Almagro yesterday, though one wonders how much he has left in the tank after the grueling 2-and-a-half hour, three-set match.
Monaco has never beaten Nadal on clay in five opportunities. That, in itself, is nothing to be ashamed of, as most players have never beaten Nadal on clay. However, one look at just how lopsided the matches have been leaves bettors with only choice in this situation. Twelve sets, all won by Nadal, and here are the scores: 6-1, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3, 6-1, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2, 6-0, 6-0, 6-1, 6-0. Yep, that’s right. To say it hasn’t been competitive is a bit of an understatement. Monaco will be lucky to take three games off Nadal, much less a set or a match. It will be more of a coronation than a competition in Buenos Aires today, place your bets accordingly. Recommendation: Nadal 2-0 at 1.33
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