Nadal moves closer to ATP history

Nadal moves closer to ATP history

BARCELONA: Rafael Nadal held off Jan-Lennard Struff 7-5, 7-5 in the Barcelona Open quarter- finals on Friday to move closer to setting an ATP record as the first player to win the same event 12 times. Nadal must first get through a Saturday semi-final between 2017 finalist Dominic Thiem, who crushed Argentine Guido Pella 7-5, 6-2. Nadal took an hour and three quarters to overcome Struff in their first meeting. Nadal is regaining his swagger after losing last weekend in the Monte Carlo semis to Italy’s Fabio Fognini. Nadal stands a perfect 11-0 in Barcelona semi-finals. Japan’s two-time champion Kei Nishikori won a slugfest with Roberto Carballes Baena 6- 4, 7-5 to move into a Barcelona semi for a fourth time.

Nishikori will take on Russian Daniil Medvedev on Saturday after the seventh seed stopped lucky loser Nicolas Jarry of Chile 6-3, 6-4. Nishikori, thewinner in 2014 and 2015, served out for victory after his 104th-ranked opponent slipped in the penultimate game and appeared to strain a right thigh muscle. After Carballes Baena took an injury time out before returning to court, Nishikori wrapped up the win. The contest quickly turned into am exchange of pounding groundstrokes, Nishikori striking first when he broke in the opening game. Thatwas enough to claim the first set. In the second, Nishikori wasted eight break point chances in his opponent’s first three service games. Fourth seed Nishikori finally broke for 6-5 though as Carballes Baena suffered his mishap. Nishikori haswon two of his three matches against Medvedev, including the Brisbane final in January. “Medvedev is a tough player, he’s got a great serve, good reach and he moves well,” said Nishikori.

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