Rafael Nadal might still be a match or two away from his top level on clay, but the 11-time Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell champion still has what it takes to continue his mastery against friend and countryman David Ferrer.
The top-seeded Nadal ended Ferrer's time in Barcelona 6-3, 6-3 on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals of the ATP 500 event for the 13th time. Nadal admitted he didn't compete well during his opening three-set win against Argentine Leonardo Mayer that saw his 30-set Barcelona win streak end.
But Nadal upped his level during his 32nd – and perhaps final – FedEx ATP Head2Head matchup against the 37-year-old Ferrer. The World No. 2 pushed Ferrer feet behind the baseline before delivering drop shots that even Ferrer couldn't track down.
The Spaniard broke in the sixth game when Ferrer missed an aggressive backhand wide, and, after a brief rain delay, clinched the set on his racquet. Nadal started quickly in the second, breaking in Ferrer's opening two service games.
Nadal, a 57-time clay-court champion, now leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 26-6, including 20-2 on clay and 6-0 in Barcelona. Ferrer will play his final tournament in two weeks at the Mutua Madrid Open. The former World No. 3 was moved to tears while receiving a standing ovation and, as has become customary during his farewell tour, leaving his bandana on the T in the service box.
Nadal will face Greece's #NextGenATP star Stefanos Tsitsipas or German Jan-Lennard Struff for a place in the semi-finals. Nadal and Tsitsipas met last year in the Barcelona final, and Nadal leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 3-0. Struff and Nadal have never played.
Did You Know?
Nadal improved to 60-3 in Barcelona. He has now won 60 or more matches at four tournaments, including Roland Garros, 86-2; Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, 71-5; and the Australian Open, 61-13readfullarticle
