Nadal to meet Ferrer in Barcelona final
Source: Agencies |
April 29, 2012, Sunday
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Print Edition
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SIX-TIME champion Rafael Nadal thrashed Fernando Verdasco 6-0, 6-4 yesterday to ease into the Barcelona Open final, where he will face fellow Spaniard David Ferrer for a fourth time.
A ruthless Nadal, world No. 2 but top seed here, dominated from the start, winning 21 of 27 points to steal Verdasco's first three service games and set him on his way to his 33rd straight win at the competition.
In the other semifinal, Ferrer held off Milos Raonic's powerful serve for a 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5) victory to give him a shot at his fourth title of the year.
"Rafa is the best player claycourt player ever," said Ferrer. "He has beaten me three times in the finals here. I hope tomorrow is different."
Raonic hit 15 aces against the Spaniard, displaying the same massive serve that led to his upset of Briton Andy Murray in the quarterfinals.
But Ferrer worked his Canadian opponent around the red-clay court with well placed ground strokes and proved the better finisher in the two tiebreakers. Down 1-3 in the second-set tiebreaker, the sixth-ranked Ferrer fought back and claimed the match in just over two hours with a superb return that clipped the sideline.
In Stuttgart, Germany? top-ranked Victoria Azarenka of Belarus cruised past Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-1, 6-3 yesterday to reach the final of the Porsche Grand Prix.
Azarenka is seeking a tour-high fifth tournament title of the year. She went on a 26-0 start to the year that included winning the Australian Open title.
Azarenka dominated the match against the fourth-ranked Radwanska, whose four losses of the year have come against Azarenka.
On match point, Azarenka fired a forehand winner to advance to the final against either Russia's Maria Sharapova or Czech Petra Kvitova.
A ruthless Nadal, world No. 2 but top seed here, dominated from the start, winning 21 of 27 points to steal Verdasco's first three service games and set him on his way to his 33rd straight win at the competition.
In the other semifinal, Ferrer held off Milos Raonic's powerful serve for a 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5) victory to give him a shot at his fourth title of the year.
"Rafa is the best player claycourt player ever," said Ferrer. "He has beaten me three times in the finals here. I hope tomorrow is different."
Raonic hit 15 aces against the Spaniard, displaying the same massive serve that led to his upset of Briton Andy Murray in the quarterfinals.
But Ferrer worked his Canadian opponent around the red-clay court with well placed ground strokes and proved the better finisher in the two tiebreakers. Down 1-3 in the second-set tiebreaker, the sixth-ranked Ferrer fought back and claimed the match in just over two hours with a superb return that clipped the sideline.
In Stuttgart, Germany? top-ranked Victoria Azarenka of Belarus cruised past Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-1, 6-3 yesterday to reach the final of the Porsche Grand Prix.
Azarenka is seeking a tour-high fifth tournament title of the year. She went on a 26-0 start to the year that included winning the Australian Open title.
Azarenka dominated the match against the fourth-ranked Radwanska, whose four losses of the year have come against Azarenka.
On match point, Azarenka fired a forehand winner to advance to the final against either Russia's Maria Sharapova or Czech Petra Kvitova.
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