Rafael Nadal advanced to the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell by coasting past fellow Spaniard Albert Montanes 6-2, 6-2 on Thursday afternoon. Nadal fired three aces without double-faulting, served at 71 percent, and sealed the deal in just one hour and seven minutes.
The world No. 5 got broken once in the opening set, but he surrendered only three service points in the entirety of the second.
“I started off very well, and it felt really good,” Nadal assessed. “I had a great forehand today and the conditions were much better than yesterday.”
The top seed has now played four sets this week without dropping more than three games, having previously rolled over countryman Marcel Granollers 6-3, 6-2 in his opening match. Fresh off a ninth title at the Monte-Carlo Masters, Nadal is now three wins away from accomplishing the same feat in Barcelona.
Nadal-Montanes highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwHBiitVMRU
Next up for Nadal is familiar foe Fabio Fognini, who defeated Viktor Troicki 6-3, 6-2. The head-to-head series stands at 6-3 in Nadal’s favor (3-2 on clay). Fognini, though, upset Nadal 6-4, 7-6(6) in the third round of this event last year.
Benoit Paire also advanced to the last eight on Thursday by taking out Pablo Cuevas 6-2, 6-4. Paire will battle unseeded Malek Jaziri for a spot in the semifinals.
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Nadal-Fognini……AGAIN
Yesss
? Rafabio
Oooh. Well played.
some of your better work
Rafa is going to get some revenge by beating Fog this time!