Nadal Returns to Winning Ways on Clay in Barcelona
Rafael Nadal began his quest for an eighth Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell title on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Carlos Berlocq. Nadal is coming off a 2-6, 6-7(1) loss to Novak Djokovic on Sunday in the finals of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. Nadal has not lost since he made his Barcelona debut in 2003, when he was beaten by his nation’s current Davis Cup captain, Alex Corretja, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 in the second round. In the third round, Nadal will face 13th-seeded Benoit Paire or fellow Spaniard Pablo Andujar.
Against Berlocq, Nadal won 48 percent of his return points to break Berlocq four times, wrapping up the win in 88 minutes, improving to 2-0 against Berlocq head-to-head. Nadal has won 35 consecutive matches in Barcelona. Nadal has a 271-21 lifetime record on clay and is seeking his 39th tour-level title on a clay court.
Also in Barcelona, qualifier Dmitry Tursunov scored a shocking upset over four-time Barcelona runner-up and top-seeded David Ferrer in three sets, 7-5, 3-6, 6-1. It was the first match between Ferrer and Tursunov, who, according to Ferrer, "sometimes hit some balls together."
"I did not feel well on the court today", said Ferrer. "It was the worst match that I’ve played in the last couple of years. I lost the third set too fast. He was better today and more aggressive in the third. I just did not feel good on the court today."
