Rafael Nadal breezes to the third round of Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell
World number 1, King of Clay Rafael Nadal of Spain crushed his compatriot Daniel Gimeno-Traver, ranked 60th in the world, in straight sets in the second round of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell at the Real Club de Tenis
Barcelona on Wednesday. The Spaniard dropped just two games in the entire match, winning a one–sided contest 6-1, 6-1 in only one hour and six minutes.
Nadal broke Gimeno-Traver in the second and fourth game, racing to a 5-0 lead in the opening set. Gimeno-Traver held his serve in the sixth game to avoid a bagel set and reduced Nadal’s lead to 5-1. The five time Barcelona Open
Banc Sabadell champion served out the opening set at 5-1.
The Spaniard fired a couple of aces and did not commit any double fault in the first set. Nadal delivered 58 percent of the first serves in the opening set, winning 79 percent of the points on them. On the other hand, his opponent
kept his first serve percentage at 65 percent and converted 60 percent of the first serves into points in the first set. Gimeno-Traver saved three of the five break points he faced in the opening set.
Continuing the thrashing in the second set, Nadal broke his opponent in the first game of the second set and held his serve in the next game to take a 2-0 lead. Gimeno-Traver fired two aces to hold his serve in the third game.
After that, it was all Rafa show as the Spaniard won four consecutive games, breaking Gimeno-Traver in the fifth and seventh game and clinching the second set 6-1.
Nadal fired 67 percent of the first serves, converting 90 percent of them into points in the second set. The Spaniard did not hit an ace nor committed any double fault in the second set. In comparison, Gimeno-Traver did not serve
well, delivering just 50 percent of his first serves correctly. The right-handed won 70 percent of the first service points in the second set. Nadal capitalized on three of the four break point opportunities he received in the second set.
Nadal said, talking to the reporters after the match, “I’m feeling good. Winning in Monte-Carlo gives you a lot of confidence. Of course the weekend was hard both physically and mentally. This is a different tournament, I’m playing
at home.”
The Spaniard added, “The first match is always difficult and I managed to play at a high level I think against a player that is not easy. I’m happy to be back at the Godo and to get through the first round, and I’m happy with the
standard of play I had on court today.”
The left-handed will play Santiago Giraldo of Colombia in the third round.
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