World No.1 Rafael Nadal has lived up to his title as the ‘king of clay’ by becoming the first ever ATP player to win 40 consecutive sets on the surface at the Barcelona Open.
Seeking his 11th title at the Spanish tournament, the top seed eased his way through his third round match. Taking on compatriot Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, Nadal strolled to a 6-1, 6-3, win in exactly 80 minutes. Hitting 15 winners to 15 unforced errors and converting five out of seven break point opportunities.
“I am in a good dynamic.” The official website of the Barcelona Open quoted Nadal as saying. “It is normal that after last week in Monte Carlo I fell a bit (in form), but I think today I played better than yesterday. Although after the (second round) match with Roberto Carballés I ended up with better sensations.”
Nadal is now 258-50 against right-handed players with a one-handed backhand, according to figures from the ATP. Furthermore, he is yet to drop more than four games in a set whilst playing on the clay so far this season (including the Davis Cup).
The next task for the Spaniard will be Slovak world No.140 Martin Klizan, who knocked Novak Djokovic out of the tournament on Wednesday. Klizan progressed to his first World Tour quarter-final of the season with a comprehensive 6-4, 6-1, win over Feliciano Lopez.
“Nadal seems to be in a great form, but he is also human, nobody is unbeatable,” Klizan said, according to The Express.
“He is a legend. Win or lose, to face him in a quarter-final is to feel proud.”
Despite Nadal’s flawless record on the clay, he is weary of the threat posed by his upcoming rival. Klizan has won three of his five ATP titles on the dirt. Furthermore, he has taken a set off Nadal in all three of their previous meetings. Although the last time they clashed on the tour was back in 2014.
“It does not have much impact what happened years ago to what may happen tomorrow, they are totally different moments. I will take it (the match) as if we had never faced each other, I have to be prepared to take on the difficulty, it is a challenge because I will have to compete against a player who has been playing well,” Nadal said about the Slovak in his press conference.
Since 2016, only four players have managed to defeat Nadal on the clay. Dominic Thiem (twice), Djokovic, Andy Murray and Pablo Cuevas. His most recent loss was to Thiem at the Rome Masters last May.
