looking back (April 22) | monte carlo masters final
Spain's Rafael Nadal claimed the Monte Carlo Masters title for the third straight year Sunday, dismissing top-ranked Roger Federer 6-4, 6-4 to become the first player to three-peat in Monaco since Ilie Nastase in 1973.
The victory improved Nadal to 5-0 in clay matches against the No. 1 player in the world, with two of those victories coming during the last two Monte Carlo Masters. In 2005, Nadal knocked Federer out of the tournament in the semifinals, while last year, the Spaniard bested his arch-rival in the finals. Nadal also beat Federer at the 2006 French Open, preventing the 10-time Grand Slam winner, on his way to becoming arguably the greatest men's tennis player ever, from completing the career slam.
The closest Federer has ever come to defeating Nadal on clay was at the final of the 2006 Rome Masters, when Nadal saved two match points before pulling out the victory in five sets. Sunday's match had very little suspense, however, as Nadal forced Federer into 38 unforced errors, half of which came on his typically lethal forehand.
Nadal is making a strong case that he could be the greatest clay court player ever, as Sunday's victory improved his winning streak on clay to an all-time best 68. The 20-year-old is now 14-0 in clay-court finals, including 2-0 in the French Open.
looking ahead (april 28) | men's lax vs. middlebury
For the men's lacrosse team to secure its first ever regular season NESCAC title, it will have to avenge its heartbreaking loss to Middlebury in last season's conference semifinals. In 2006, with a birth in the NESCAC finals on the line, the fourth-seeded Jumbos fell to the top-ranked Panthers 12-11 in triple overtime, the longest game in conference tournament history. The loss spoiled a thrilling Tufts comeback, which saw the team erase a three-goal deficit with under six minutes to go in regulation.
The Jumbos had countless opportunities in the first two overtimes to earn just their second ever trip to the NESCAC Championship game, with 30-second man advantages in each period. But their inability to take advantage left the door open for Middlebury senior midfielder Travis Meyer to tally the game winner with 58 seconds left in the third extra session.
A victory over the Panthers on Saturday will guarantee the Jumbos the No. 1 seed in the 2007 NESCAC Tournament and a first-round bye. Tufts will have its hands full with a potent Middlebury offense, which features the conference's leading scorer, junior attackman Jim Cabrera.
