Nieminen sets up Nadal meeting in Monte Carlo

Rafael Nadal

MONACO,  (Reuters) – Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen will  have the dubious honour of facing king of clay Rafael Nadal at  the Monte Carlo Masters after shrugging off France’s Julien  Benneteau 4-6 6-3 7-6 in yesterday’s first round.

Rafael Nadal

Top seed Nadal, bidding to become the first player to win  the same event seven times in a row, has a bye in the opening  round alongside other big names although in-form Novak Djokovic  is out of this year’s first claycourt tournament with a knee  injury.

Nieminen will somehow try to derail Nadal, who won every  clay match he played last year including at the French Open,  when they take to the Monte Carlo Country Club courts in round  two tomorrow.

His encounter was shunted on to the Court des Princes from  centre court after a women’s exhibition match between Francesca  Schiavone and Caroline Wozniacki ran on and the Finn won through  long after the red-hot sun had fallen below the horizon.

British world number four Andy Murray, booted out in the  second round of Indian Wells and the Sony Ericsson Open in his  last two outings, will hope the switch to clay helps his game  when he comes up against Radek Stepanek tomorrow.

Czech Stepanek got past Marcos Baghdatis 3-6 6-1 7-6 in  their first-round clash.

Second seed Roger Federer plays dangerous customer Philipp  Kohlschreiber in round two today at the age-old venue  situated just above the idyllic waters of Monte Carlo bay.

Benneteau’s defeat apart, the sparse Monegasque crowd were  treated to three-set comeback wins for fellow Frenchmen  Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet.