World No 4 Andy Murray was the major casualty on the third day of the ATP Rome claycourt Masters yesterday as top two seeds Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer breezed into the third round.
World No 4 Andy Murray was the major casualty on the third day of the ATP Rome claycourt Masters yesterday as top two seeds Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer breezed into the third round.
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Qualifier Juan Monaco dumped fourth seed Murray out of the second round following an epic three-set match that lasted two hours, 40 minutes.
The Argentine clay specialist made a mockery of his No 58 world ranking to come through 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 against an out-of-sorts Murray, whose dreadful Rome record continued.
The Scot's only victory in four attempts here came last year when Juan Del Potro retired with a back injury during the third set of their first round clash.
Murray was far from disappointed, though, having come into this match with a career-best 29-3 record with three titles for the season and a sizzling six titles and 60-8 record since the end of Wimbledon last year.
"It wasn't my best match but I was still very close to winning," he said. "This year I've found ways of coming through when I haven't been playing well. On clay it's something I've got to work on more but I'm not going to be too disappointed.
"I've had a great eight months and it (losing early) was going to happen some time."
The fourth seed coasted to the first set as Monaco took his time to settle but once the Argentine found his range, both players dug into their trenches and went to war. Monaco admitted he had been slow to get going.
"At the beginning I think I started very nervous. Then in the second set I started thinking to be a bit calmer, to start playing slower," he said.
Murray paid for a pitiful first serve percentage of just 39 percent in the second set compared with Monaco's impressive 84 percent of first serves in.
Three successive breaks in the decider allowed Monaco to race to a 4-2 lead but just as he looked to be heading to victory he played a woeful eighth game and was broken to love.
However, Murray ominously began the 11th game with a double fault and finished it with a terrible drop shot that left him hopelessly exposed.
Monaco broke and then served out the match to set up a clash with Croatian Marin Cilic in the next round after the 15th seed disposed of Belgium's Christophe Rochus in three sets 6-0, 5-7, 6-2.
World No 2 Federer broke Ivo Karlovic once in each set to secure a 6-4, 6-4 victory in a non-eventful match that lasted just 1hr 8min.
"I got off to a good start in both sets, which is always good, kind of comforting against Ivo," said the 13-time Grand Slam winner.
"He found his groove later on, on his serve but I already had the break in the second, which is perfect.
"It was just important to be really solid on my serve. I had two close service games in the beginning. From then on, I was pretty much cruising."
It was a good start for Federer on his least favourite surface as he chased his first tour title of the year.
His 19-5 record in the year to date is far from the heights he reached in previous seasons but he has managed at least the semi-finals in four of his five tournaments.
But two weeks ago he lost to compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka in straight sets in the third round in Monte Carlo, his first clay event of the year.
Tenth seed Wawrinka, the finalist here a year ago, came through in straight sets against qualifier Mikhail Youzhny of Russia 6-3, 7-6 (7/5).
Nadal was a comfortable winner against home favourite Andreas Seppi, taking 11 minutes longer than Federer to secure a 6-2, 6-3 win.
He will face Robin Soderling in the next round after the Swede beat Romanian Victor Crivoi 6-1, 6-7 (2/7), 6-1.
Nadal has not lost in 26 matches on clay since he was eliminated by compatriot and former World No 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero at this same stage here a year ago.
He has lost only four times on clay over the last five seasons compiling an incredible 143-4 record with 23 titles on the surface during that period. But despite all that success, Nadal is as determined as ever to win on clay.
"I'm coming here motivated, Rome is a very good tournament. I lost last year but it's impossible to win every year," he said.
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