NADAL EXTENDS BARCELONA WINNING STREAK TO 30 MATCHES

Written by: Staff on 26th April 2012

NADAL EXTENDS BARCELONA WINNING STREAK TO 30 MATCHES |

Barcelona, Spain

by ATP Staff

Original Story: http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2012/04/17/Barcelona-Wednesday-Nadal-Ferrer-In-Action.aspx

Fresh from his 20th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title in Monte-Carlo, World No. 2 Rafael Nadal opened his Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Guillermo Garcia-Lopez on Wednesday.

The Spaniard created 15 break point chances and was able to convert six as he raced to victory in 81 minutes. The six-time champion improved to a 31-1 event record, extending his winning streak at this ATP World Tour 500 tournament to 30 straight matches.

Nadal won five straight titles from 2005-2009 and regained the crown last year with victory over David Ferrer, having missed the event in 2010.

The 25-year-old Nadal ended a 10-month title drought last week with victory at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters (d. Djokovic). He has a 23-3 match record on the season, also highlighted by finishing runner-up at the Australian Open (l. to Djokovic).

He will next face Colombian qualifier Robert Farah, who prevailed against recent Casablanca champion Pablo Andujar 7-6(8), 4-6, 7-5 in two hours and 49 minutes. The 246th-ranked Farah notched his first tour-level win on Tuesday, when he defeated Spanish lucky loser Arnau Brugues-Davi.

World No. 8 Janko Tipsarevic got off to a winning start in his first Barcelona appearance in three years, defeating Romanian Victor Hanescu 7-5, 6-4 in one hour and 42 minutes. The Serbian will play Portugal’s Frederico Gil for a play in the quarter-finals. Gil advanced with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over countryman Joao Sousa.

Topics: Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, Rafael Nadal