• Monte Carlo Masters

Nadal crushes Verdasco to win Monte Carlo crown

Rafael Nadal is unbeaten in six years in Monaco © Getty Images

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Rafael Nadal stormed to his sixth straight title at the Monte Carlo Masters with a dominant 6-0 6-1 victory over Fernando Verdasco.

The world No. 3 ended his drought in emphatic fashion as he claimed his first title in almost a year.

As on so many occasions in Monaco this week, Nadal took first blood and broke his opponent's opening service game. Although Verdasco took Nadal to deuce on his first service game, Nadal rescued the situation with a superb backhand cross-court winner, retrieving Verdasco's smash.

Nadal was unstoppable, producing a display of tennis that will be an ominous sign to his rivals that he is back to his best as he bagelled the world No. 12 in the opening set.

Verdasco received treatment for an injury, but rallied in the second set and produced a number of impressive shots himself as the two left handers exchanged baseline rallies, but he simply had no answer to the dominant Nadal.

Such was Nadal's dominance, that at 4-1 down in the second set, Verdasco created his first break point opportunity. After an epic rally that saw Nadal hit a series of near-impossible returns as Verdasco desperately searched for the winner, when Nadal finally hit a return wide, Verdasco fell to the floor in celebration as if he had won the match.

Nadal saved Verdasco two break points to maintain his unbroken serve throughout the week, and served out for the match to extend his unbeaten run at Monte Carlo to six years.

"I am sorry for today," Nadal said to Verdasco. "But you are playing really well - congratulations for being in the final."

"It was emotional for me today, it was my best week for a long time," he said. "It's unbelievable, Monte Carlo is my favorite tournament."

"I hope one day Rafa gets tired of winning here," said Verdasco.

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