Monte Carlo, April 27:

Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer 7-5, 7-5 Sunday to win the Monte Carlo Masters for a fourth consecutive year.

For a second straight year, the Spaniard did not drop a set. Nadal has now beaten the top-ranked Federer three times in the final, improving his clay-court record over the Swiss to 7-1 and 9-6 overall.

Nadal is the only player in the Open era to win four straight titles at Monte Carlo, and the first since Anthony Wilding of New Zealand (1911-14). Federer blew commanding

positions in each set, breaking the second-ranked Nadal to lead 4-3 in the first and then racing to a 4-0 lead in the second.

The Spaniard has now won 22 consecutive matches at Monte Carlo since losing to Guillermo Coria in the third round five years ago. He missed 2004 with injury. Federer was the last person to take a set from him, in the 2006 final.

Relying too hard on his forehand, Federer also missed routine volleys at the net, and made 44 unforced errors. But the Swiss seemed poised to level the match after hitting some winners down the line to take a 4-0 lead in the second set. Nadal struggled to hold in the fifth game, but then turned the match around.

Having seen Nadal rally back to 4-3, Federer’s game fell apart in the eighth game when he

hit four consecutive unforced errors to lose his serve to love.

A weak backhand gave Nadal the match point and he took it at the first opportunity, before sliding on his back and raising both fists in the air.