ATP Barcelona: Rafael Nadal overpowers Jan-Lennard Struff to reach semis
World no. 2 and 11-time Barcelona champion Rafael Nadal has secured the 61st win in 64 encounters at one of his favorite events, beating Jan-Lennard Struff 7-5, 7-5 in an hour and 43 minutes. Competing on the court that carries his name, Nadal is through to the semi-final for the 12th time, never losing a match in Barcelona after passing the quarter-final stage to rule at this event for almost 15 years. Rafa was not on last year's level once again on the favorite surface just like last week in Monte Carlo but at least his serve was there to guide him, landing 75% of the first serve in and facing only two break points, getting broken just once to keep the pressure on Struff.
The German dealt with it nicely to stay competitive in both sets, serving at only 44% and drawing the most from his initial shot to suffer three breaks from seven chances offered to Rafa. The defending champion had 19 winners and eight unforced errors and he should be happy with the way he performed today ahead of the more serious rivals. In the opening set, Jan-Lennard served at 37% and it is a miracle that he stayed competitive for 12 games before Rafa finally broke his resistance to secure the first part of the match.
Nadal drew first blood with a stunning forehand return winner at 2-1, controlling the course of the encounter until game seven when Struff broke back at 15, forcing an error from Rafa with a deep return and confirming the break with a hold at love in game eight for a 4-4. Nadal delivered two good holds and broke Struff at love at 6-5 to claim the opener 7-5 after challenging 51 minutes. Carried by this momentum, the Spaniard lost just five points behind the initial shot in set number two and Jan-Lennard managed to stay on the positive side of the scoreboard with some good serves and forehands, saving two break points at 3-4. Returning at 6-5, Rafa found the range and he sealed the deal with a thrilling forehand down the line winner for a break at 15 and the place in the semi-final where he will face Guido Pella or Dominic Thiem.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2DBA3Bx
No comments