Internet Desk: Rafael Nadal inched closer to a 10th title at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell on Friday as he withstood a spirited challenge to beat Hyeon Chung 7-6(1), 6-2 in the quarter-finals.
“He was playing at a very high level throughout the tournament and played well today. He has good potential, [a] great backhand and [is] very quick. He has all the right things to be a good player,” said Nadal. “He had chances in the first set and I’m happy that I started to play better after the first six games.”
The Spaniard will next play Horacio Zeballos, who continued his dream run by knocking off another #NextGenATP player in Karen Khachanov, 6-4, 6-1. Nadal and Zeballos are even in their FedEx ATP Head2Head at 1-1, with both matches coming on clay. The Argentine won their most recent meeting by upsetting Nadal in the championship match at Vina del Mar in February 2013.
“It’s another opportunity for me to fight, to be in the final day and enjoy this tournament,” said Nadal. “I’ll try to get ready for tomorrow now.”
The 20-year-old Chung, who is a contender to qualify for the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan at the end of the year, came into the contest having not lost a set in five matches. He qualified into the main draw before beating Denis Istomin, Philipp Kohlschreiber and Alexander Zverev.
The Korean was more than a match for nine-time champion Nadal in the opening stages with his aggressive style of play, leading the Spaniard by a service break at 3-1 before eventually succumbing in the tie-break. His challenge fell away in the second set, though, as Nadal’s relentless pressure began to tell. The Spaniard broke in the first and fifth games to wrap up victory in one hour and 44 minutes. He now has a 51-3 record at this ATP World Tour 500 clay-court tournament.
The 30-year-old Nadal is coming off a record 10th title at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. He is also looking to complete la decima this week in Barcelona, and then at the climax of the clay-court season at Roland Garros.
In the final match of the day, Zeballos didn’t drop serve against Khachanov and went on an eight-game run from 3-4 in the first set to prevail in 74 minutes. The 32-year-old Argentine, currently No. 84 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, will look to reach his first ATP World Tour final since his title run four years ago in Vina del Mar.
Courtesy- ATP.