Nadal wins sixth straight at Monte Carlo

MONTE CARLO, Monaco, April 18 (UPI) -- Rafael Nadal dropped just one game Saturday en route to his sixth consecutive title at the $3 million Monte Carlo Rolex Masters tournament in Monaco.

The 6-0, 6-1 dismantling of Fernando Verdasco marked the third match in the tournament in which Nadal lost only one game. The win ran Nadal's winning streak at Monte Carlo to 32 matches and he became the first man in the Open Era to win a tournament six consecutive times.

Sunday's title was the 37th of Nadal's nine-year professional career. Of those championships, 26 have come on clay courts.

Nadal lost only 12 points in the first set, allowing Verdasco five points in his three service games. Verdasco's lone game win came in the first game of the second set.

But Nadal quickly retook control. He didn't face a break point until the 12th game when he saved five -- half of the 16 points he lost on serve Sunday were in that one game -- before closing out the match with his sixth service break.

Nadal collected $590,000 for the championship. Verdasco was given the runner-up check for $275,000.

The ATP next plays at Barcelona, Spain, a clay-court tournament in which Nadal is also the defending champion.