ATP Buenos Aires: Nadal to face Berlocq in the semifinals - UBITENNIS

ATP Buenos Aires: Nadal to face Berlocq in the semifinals

By Staff
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TENNIS ATP BUENOS AIRES – Rafael Nadal dropped just two games in his 6-1 6-1 win over Argentine clay specialist Federico Delbonis in the quarter finals at Buenos Aires. Diego Sampaolo

Nadal opened up a 2-0 lead but he had to recover from 0-30 in the first game. The Spanish star rallied from 15-30 down to break serve in the second game for 2-0 and held serve in the third game. He rallied from 15-40 down to get another break and cruised to 5-0. Delbonis served to stay in the match and won his first game but Nadal closed out the first set for 6-1 in the next game.

In the second set Nadal continued his dominance of the match breaking three times and did not face any break point chances to wrap up the match in one hour and two minutes. Nadal won 83 percent of his first serve points. It was Nadal’s second win over Delbonis after Vina del Mar in 2013.

Nadal will face Carlos Berlocq who easily beat Blaz Rola 6-1 6-3. Nadal won his previous three times matches against Berlocq on clay in Sao Paulo and Barcelona on clay and in Shanghai on hard-court in 2013.

Juan Monaco and Nicolas Almagro will meet in the other semifinal. Monaco battled past Pablo Cuevas 7-6 (7-1) 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 in a hard-fought 2-hour and 38-minute match. Monaco, who has reached his first semifinal of the year, will face Almagro, who won the sixth of his seven head-to-head matches against Tommy Robredo with 6-3 6-2 after one hour. Almagro broke three times and saved two break points. Almagro clinched his second win over Robredo in Buenos Aires. Four years ago the Spanish player won their previous match in the South American city before claiming the title in the final against Juan Ignacio Chela.

Almagro leads 6-3 in the previous nine head-to-head matches against Monaco but they have not met since Hamburg in 2013.

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