A rematch of last year’s final is on the docket for Friday in Barcelona, where Rafael Nadal and Nicolas Almagro will do battle in the quarterfinals. Kei Nishikori and Marin Cilic are also in action.
(1) Rafael Nadal vs. (6) Nicolas Almagro
Nadal and Almagro will be going head-to-head for the 11th time in their careers when they clash in the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell on Friday afternoon. The head-to-head series stands at a perfect 10-0 in favor of Nadal, who has won eight of those matches on clay. The two Spaniards most recently met on two occasions last year, with Nadal prevailing 7-5, 6-4 in Acapulco and 6-4, 6-3 in the title match of this same Barcelona event.
An eight-time champion at this tournament, Nadal advanced to the quarters with straight-set scalps of Albert Ramos and Ivan Dodig. The world No. 1 may not be at his very best after losing to David Ferrer in the Monte-Carlo quarterfinals, but he at least looked better against Dodig on Thursday. Almagro avenged a loss in this month’s Houston final by beating Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-3 in the third round. That was preceded by a straight-set victory over Martin Klizan for the No. 6 seed, who is now 12-6 for his 2014 campaign. This may not be a complete rout with Nadal looking somewhat vulnerable, but Almagro is 2-24 lifetime in total sets against the favorite.
Pick: Nadal in 2 losing 8 games or fewer
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(12) Marin Cilic vs. (4) Kei Nishikori
Nishikori and Cilic will be squaring off for the seventh time in their careers on Friday. The head-to-head series stands at 4-2 in Nishikori’s favor, but they have never faced each other on clay (all six of their previous encounters have come on hard courts). They most recently collided to begin this season in Brisbane, where Nishikori scored a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory.
Cilic advanced on Thursday by winning a 7-5, 6-7(3), 7-6(5) thriller against Tommy Robredo that required two hours and 46 minutes to be completed. The 27th-ranked Croat, who opened with a straight-set defeat of Andrey Kuznetsov, is now 25-7 for the season. Nishikori booked his spot in the last eight with a three-set win over Roberto Bautista Agut followed by a 6-0, 6-4 rout of Andrey Golubev. Japan’s top player appears to be bouncing back nicely from a groin injury that forced him out of a Miami semifinal and Davis Cup. Based on their past history and Cilic’s third-round tussle, Nishikori should have the edge. Clay is also likely to favor Barcelona’s No. 4 seed.
Pick: Nishikori in 3
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