Rafael Nadal recorded his 43rd successive victory at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters on Wednesday as he opened his bid for a ninth title in a row with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Australia’s Marinko Matosevic. 

On the anniversary of his first title at the Monte-Carlo Country Club in 2005, the Spaniard made an emphatic start, racing to a 4-0 lead. Matosevic had a competitive spell at the start of the second set, breaking Nadal for a 2-0 lead and holding two break points for 3-0, but the Spaniard regained control and claimed victory in just over an hour.

The 26-year-old Nadal is on a 15-match winning streak. Since his return from a seven-month injury lay-off in February, the Mallorcan has finished runner-up in Vina del Mar (l. to Zeballos) and won three straight titles in Sao Paulo (d. Nalbandian), Acapulco (d. Ferrer) and Indian Wells (d. del Potro).


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