For the second week in a row, clay-court King Rafael Nadal suffered yet another shocking and early loss, this time round at the Barcelona Open. His conqueror you say, his compatriot Nicloas Almagro who had never beaten Rafa in 10 previous matches. Nadal has seen his confidence going South since he lost injured to Stan Wawrinka in January’s Aussie Open Final. But nevertheless it was a brilliant win for Almagro who now moves into the SF’s to face Colombian Santiago Giraldo. Over in Stuttgart, two-time defending champion Maria Sharapova, cruised through to the last 4 courtesy of a straight sets win over Aga Radwanska.
ATP Barcelona: Day 5, Friday- QF’s
Just a week ago in Rafael Nadal’s beloved Monte Carlo Masters, he lost in the QF’s to his fellow countryman David Ferrer. It was the first time since 2003 that Nadal had failed to reach the final in the principality. Fast forward a week later, Rafa must be wondering what on earth is going on , just a month before the defence of his cherished Roland Garros crown.
Yet again he lost to one of his compatriots and best friends on the tour. What was even more shocking was that he had never lost to Almagro in 10 previous meetings. And just to dampen Rafael Nadal’s mood even more, just like in Monte Carlo, it was his first pre-QF loss in Barcelona since 2003 when he was just 16, and ended his incredible 41 match winning streak at the event.
Both players went all-guns blazing in the first two games of the match, each swapping breaks with each other.
But ultimately it was Rafa who took total control of the opening set, winning it handily 6-2. Almagro on the other hand racketed up 15 unforced errors, despite some devastating backhands.
Then in the second set, is where things got a lot more interesting. The two matadors went toe to toe with each other, eventually ending up in a tie-breaker. There it was Almagro who took the ascendancy, just edging it 7 points to 5.
In the 3rd set it just went plain crazy. Both players were playing some really scrappy tennis all over the place. What made it so scrappy, was the fact that it had 4 consecutive breaks of serve. Almagro though was the one who kept it cool at the most crucial moments in the decider. The 6th seed ultimately reigned supreme in the dying seconds of the clash, winning it 6-4 and thus claiming the biggest win of his career.
For Rafa he was left scratching his head for the 2nd week in a row, and tings aren’t about to get any better for the Majorcan World Number 1. Next month he has to defend both his Masters Series crowns in Madrid and Rome, before finally heading to Paris for the French Open. All in all he has a staggering 4,000 ranking points to defend, with No. 2 Novak Djokovic hot on his heels for the number 1 ranking.
2014 ATP Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell: Friday QF Results
Santiago Giraldo (Colombia) beat 10-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) 6-4 4-3 (Kohlschreiber retired)
6-Nicolas Almagro (Spain) beat 1-Rafa Nadal (Spain) 2-6 7-6(5) 6-4
4-Kei Nishikori (Japan) beat 12-Marin Cilic (Croatia) 6-1 6-3
9-Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) beat Teymuraz Gabashvili (Russia) 6-1 6-4
Thursday: 3rd rd results
1-Rafa Nadal (Spain) beat Ivan Dodig (Croatia) 6-3 6-3
Santiago Giraldo (Colombia) beat Dominic Thiem (Austria) 4-6 6-4 7-5
12-Marin Cilic (Croatia) beat 5-Tommy Robredo (Spain) 7-5 6-7(3) 7-6(5)
10-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) beat Jurgen Melzer (Austria) 7-5 6-3
6-Nicolas Almagro (Spain) beat 11-Fernando Verdasco (Spain) 6-3 6-3
9-Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) beat Albert Montanes (Spain) 7-5 6-1
Teymuraz Gabashvili (Russia) beat Inigo Cervantes (Spain) 6-4 6-2
4-Kei Nishikori (Japan) beat Andrey Golubev (Kazakhstan) 6-0 6-4
ATP Bucharest, Romania: Friday QF results
(1) G Dimitrov (BUL) bt S Stakhovsky (UKR): 6-3, 6-4
(3) G Monfils (FRA) bt P-H Mathieu (FRA): 3-6, 7-6 (10-8), 6-2
L Rosol (CZE) bt (4) G Simon (FRA): 7-6 (7-2), 6-2
R Haase (NED) bt D Istomin (UZB): 3-6, 6-1, 6-3
WTA Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Stuttgart: Day 5, Friday- QF’s
Two-time defending Stuttgart champ Maria Sharapova, has a lot riding on this week at the Porsche Grand Prix. If the Russian fails to reach at least the semi’s, she could drop out of the top 10 for the first time since March 2011.
But she got one foot in keeping her place inside the WTA Tour’s top 10 elite, with a crushing win over world number 3 Agnieszka Radwanska. Sharapova of course is a former French Open champion, having won it in 2012. So her clay-court prowess was always going to trouble the Pole.
In the early stages of the match, it was even Stevens with Sharapova always looking like the one to break first. Indeed she did, breaking Aga for a 4-3 lead. But the plucky Radwanska forced 3 BP”s of her own, when she went up 40-0 on Maria’s serve. Ever the tenacious one, Maria dug in her heels to save all 3 and lead 5-3. After Radwanska held her serve to reduce the deficit 5-4, Sharapova was soon wrapping up the first set when Aga failed to get back a wide serve.
Maria’s momentum went into overdrive in the 2nd set, as she charged into a 4-0 lead. Aga got a few games back, but it was all too little too late. Maria eventually put the kill into the match, downing Radwanska 6-3. She now moves into Saturday’s SF’s, where she will face the woman she beat in 2012 FO final, Sara Errani.
WTA Porsche Tennis Grand Prix: Friday QF results
5-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) beat Alisa Kleybanova (Russia) 6-4 6-3
9-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) beat Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) 6-3 2-6 6-4
8-Sara Errani (Italy) beat Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) 6-3 6-7(6) 3-0 (Suarez retired)
6-Maria Sharapova (Russia) beat 1-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) 6-4 6-3
Thursday: 3rd rd results
6-Maria Sharapova (Russia) beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) 6-4 6-3
1-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) beat Roberta Vinci (Italy) 6-3 6-2
Kuznetsova bt (2) Halep (ROU): 7-5, 7-6 (7-4)
(9) Ivanovic bt Goerges (GER): 1-6, 6-2, 6-3
(5) Jankovic bt Pennetta (ITA): 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
Suarez Navarro bt (4) Kerber: 7-5, 6-4
WTA Marrakech quarter-final results
Maria Teresa Torro (Spain) beat Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 7-6(3) 7-6(5)
1-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) beat 6-Peng Shuai (China) walkover
Romina Oprandi (Switzerland) beat 3-Yvonne Meusburger (Austria) 6-4 6-4
5-Garbine Muguruza Blanco (Spain) beat Shahar Peer (Israel) 6-3 6-1
TENNIS WORLD NEWS:
World number 2 Novak Djokovic and his long-term girlfriend and fiancée Jelena Ristic, are expecting their first child together. The Serbian ace and partner Jelena are said to be overjoyed at the prospect of becoming parents.
All Things Tennis- from Hamza Shakeel 