Ten tournament titles was so nice Rafael Nadal might have to do it twice. A week after becoming the first man in the Open Era (since April 1968) to win a tournament 10 times, Rafael Nadal will have a chance to repeat the feat on Sunday during the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell final. The Spaniard advanced to his 10th Barcelona title match on Saturday evening, beating Argentine Horacio Zeballos 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 34 minutes. “The conditions were tricky, very windy, and Horacio is a tough opponent who has a style that suits clay. He serves well, creates great angles... He has been feeling better and better,” Nadal said. The 30-year-old Nadal has now won nine consecutive matches...
Dominic Thiem claimed his first victory over a World No. 1 on Saturday at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, edging Andy Murray 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 in a high-quality affair in the Spanish metropolis. Thiem was on the front foot throughout the encounter, firing 41 winners, including 25 off his forehand wing and six aces. The fourth seed, who improves to 10-1 on clay this year, advanced to his 12th ATP World Tour final. "It's the first win [over a World No. 1], so it's really something special," said Thiem. "But it's also the first win over a Top 10 guy this season. There are many positive things to take from today's match. For me personally, it's the best victory this...
Pushed well behind the baseline, Dominic Thiem finds a moment of magic with this stunning passing shot in the Barcelona semis. Watch live matches at tennistv.com. Photo: Getty Images
Watch Hot Shot as Rafael Nadal shows off his reflexes at the net against Hyeon Chung at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. Watch live matches at tennistv.com. Photo: Getty Images
Rafael Nadal inched closer to a 10th title at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell on Friday as he withstood a spirited challenge to defeat #NextGenATP star Hyeon Chung 7-6(1), 6-2 in the quarter-finals. “He was playing at a very high level throughout the tournament and played well today. He has good potential, [a] great backhand and [is] very quick. He has all the right things to be a good player,” said Nadal. “He had chances in the first set and I’m happy that I started to play better after the first six games.” The Spaniard will next play Horacio Zeballos, who continued his dream run by knocking off another #NextGenATP player in Karen Khachanov, 6-4, 6-1. Nadal and Zeballos are...