MADRID: World number one Rafael Nadal took his clay court winning streak to 48 successive sets with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Gael Monfils in his Madrid Masters opener on Wednesday.
Nadal, who has already claimed an 11th title in Monte Carlo and Barcelona this season, also claimed his 20th win in a row on clay.
He will next face either Spanish compatriot Feliciano Lopez or Diego Schwartzman of Argentina for a place in the quarter-finals.
A win in that match will take Nadal past John McEnroe's record of 49 straight sets won on any surface.