Rafael Nadal Wins Barcelona Open, Ties Record for Most Wins in Clay
Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal adds another milestone to his career after winning the Barcelona Open for the ninth time, putting him on equal ground with the current record held by Guillermo Villas as having the most titles in clay court with 49. The 29-year old beat the defending champion, Kei Nishikori, in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5 to claim the title.
He's been always favored to win in a tournament on clay since that has been his forte all throughout his career. But this one is special for the 14-time grand slam victor since it puts him on record books. And at such a young age, he definitely can surpass that mark by Vila.
Nadal also has a rare chance of doing something that only a few have done, which is to win three major titles in one year. He already hoisted the Monte Carlo trophy last week, got the Barcelona Open today, and can cap it off with a win at the French Open scheduled for next month.
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Nishikori was never meant to be a pushover in the title match because he happens to be the winner of this very same tournament the past two years. Those were the times when Nadal wasn't on top form, giving Nishikori the rare dominance in a major tournament like this one. The players came in holding the top two seeds.
The fifth-ranked player in the world had to play his best against Nishikori, who happens to be ranked sixth. Both players showcased remarkable rallies in the entire match, but Nadal was the more durable one in handling pressure. That is proven by the fact that he was able to save seven out of eight break points in the first set alone. He also converted two opportunities.
Aside from the matching the record of Vila, Nadal also now owns nine wins in Barcelona, matching his previous feats in Monte Carlo and Roland Garros.
