Rafael Nadal Wins Barcelona Open To Equal Clay-Court Record Of 49 Career Titles

 

Rafael Nadal beat defending champion Kei Nishikori 6-4, 7-5 to win the Barcelona Open for the ninth time on Sunday, equaling Guillermo Vilas' record of 49 career clay-court titles. Nadal added this title to his trophy from Monte Carlo last week as the 14-time Grand Slam winner regains form on his favorite surface ahead of next month's French Open.

In an entertaining clash of the two top-seeded players, Nadal proved more decisive under pressure, saving seven of eight break chances in the first set while converting the two chances he got. The Spaniard then bettered second-seeded Nishikori through several superb rallies in a back-and-forth second set to win key points and claim his 69th career title in his 101st final.

Nadal said “I was playing against the No. 6 player in the world, and if you don't play at your best you aren't going to win. I served well and that allowed me to play better. In the second set I missed several chances, and at the end it was very close, but I stayed mentally strong”

After losing to Fabio Fognini in the round of 16 last year, Nadal blamed his poor forehand. A year later, all Nadal's power was back on display, driving forehand strokes past Nishikori when it really mattered.

Nadal earned a second break to claim the first set when the Spaniard won with a shot which clipped the top of the net. Nishikori immediately responded by rallying from 0-40 down to break Nadal's first service game of the second set. Nadal answered with a hard-fought game - which included two superb rallies won by the home favorite at the net - to recover the break. Nishikori got back in the match after Nadal misjudged a ball that he thought was going wide when he could have smashed it. The ball fell in, and Nishikori broke Nadal with an unreachable drop shot for 4-3. Nishikori then landed another risky drop shot to save a championship point and make it 5-5, but Nadal claimed victory two games later when the Japanese sent the ball into the net.