ATP Barcelona - Nadal crushes Rochus

Eurosport - Fri, 24 Apr 15:22:00 2009

World number one Rafael Nadal thrashed unseeded Belgian Christophe Rochus 6-2 6-0 to advance to stay on course for a fifth straight Barcelona Open title.

TENNIS 2009 ATP Barcelona Nadal R. - Gil F. - 0

The Spanish top seed goes straight into the semi-finals after seventh seed David Nalbandian withdrew with a hip problem.

Nadal had been set to meet the Argentine after his 6-3 6-4 victory over Spanish 10th seed Nicolas Almagro, but Nalbandian pulled out soon afterwards.

Nadal will now face the winner of Friday's match between Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic, who beat Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka, and Russian third seed Nikolay Davydenko, conqueror of 16th seed Spaniard Feliciano Lopez in a gruelling 7-6(8) 3-6 6-4 clash.

"Both are difficult opponents," Nadal said.

"Stepanek has an unusual style and breaks up the play whereas Davydenko keeps the rhythm up all the time and is very hard to dominate.

"I'll be training a bit harder than normal tomorrow and that should be enough."

The Australian Open, Wimbledon and French Open champion was in brutal form against Rochus, breaking the Belgian's serve twice in the first set and three times in the second on the clay in the Catalan capital.

Nadal became the first man to win the Monte Carlo Masters five times in a row when he beat Novak Djokovic in last weekend's final and begins his attempt for a fifth consecutive French Open crown next month.

Second seed Fernando Verdasco reached the quarter-finals with victory over Czech Tomas Berdych and Chilean fifth seed Fernando Gonzalez also progressed against Argentine Juan Monaco.

Last year's losing finalist David Ferrer and 2004 winner Tommy Robredo will meet for a place in the semis after the Spanish pair each came back from a set down to beat Italy's Potito Starace and Russian Igor Andreev respectively.

Reuters

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  1. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    oh dear - mike stark is obviously another "vamos­ rafa botty boy" desperate to sniff his crotch­ after a rant like that - or maybe it's the sexy­ ga.y boy pure silk red ladies knickerbockers that the­ darling Rafa likes to wrap his steroid pumped inflated­ body in that turns Miss Michelle Stark on so much.

    From miguel b, on Thu 23 Apr 10:32PM

  2. MICHEAL B YOU ARE A MORON!!! DO US ALL A FAVOUR AND­ STICK TO BIG BROTHER OR SOAPS FROM NOW ON I THINK­ YOU'LL FIND THOSE SHOWS ARE A LOT CLOSER TO YOUR­ MENTAL LEVEL YOU LOW- LIFE PIECE OF SCUM!
    VAMOS­ RAFA!!!!!!!!!!

    From mikestark78, on Thu 23 Apr 10:28PM
  3. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    It really is what matters when you're trying to eat­ your chicken sandwich in front of the TV and that­ deformed gargoyle appears on the screen picking his­ ringhole

    From michael b, on Thu 23 Apr 10:15PM

  4. Three excellent QF match ups tomorrow. Hope to catch­ some of it. Cheers

    From rhymes450, on Thu 23 Apr 10:15PM

  5. wooooooooow michael his ugly face is realy what­ matters...
    VAAAAAAAAAAAAMOS RAFA LO GRAND CAMPEON

    From tiagomarcelino, on Thu 23 Apr 9:57PM
  6. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    great and super rich he may be but personally - i'd­ prefer to be an average local club player having to­ work for a living rather than be cursed with his face -­ pig ugly gypsy dog - possibly the most grotesquely ugly­ player ever to trundle onto a tennis court - picking­ his ar-se ring between each point doesn't help­ matters much either - what a nightmare.

    From michael b, on Thu 23 Apr 9:35PM

  7. Thank heavens that Rafa is gonna get a day off, not as­ though he wouldn't have beaten Nalbandian but I­ feel for this young man Nadal who has to pace around­ the dirty slow stuff for about 5 to 6 weeks so any­ extra day he is gifted with, I appreciate.. I'm­ only sorry for Davydenko/Stepanek who ever is­ ''unlucky'' to qualify for the­ semis
    Vamos Rafa

    From CHUKWUDI A, on Thu 23 Apr 9:24PM

  8. VAMOS RAFA!!! now nalbandian.uff..difficult.but you can­ do this!!!VAMOS!!

    From Ina01ManUnited, on Thu 23 Apr 7:59PM
  9. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

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    From jimbobbington79, on Thu 23 Apr 7:37PM

  10. Nadal is the best of the best.

    From rubenm, on Thu 23 Apr 7:36PM

  11. c'mon nadal what a world class player really really­ good lol id love a game against him he'd probably­ thrash me like a million

    From smiley123, on Thu 23 Apr 7:34PM

  12. good news for nadal, he will be will get a well­ deserved little rest and spare an extra match which can­ only be good in view of his super tight schedule. i­ dont think we should read too much into the rochus­ match not to say he is not a difficult player to play­ but nadal is simply in another class. vamos

    From ralph, on Thu 23 Apr 7:20PM

  13. @#$%! nalbandian injured! o.k next time rafa.

    From rafaelo807, on Thu 23 Apr 6:59PM

  14. NADAL WAS BRILLIANT TODAY I DON'T THINK­ D.NALBANDIAN WILL BE ENJOYING HIMSELF VERY MUCH­ TOMOROW.ANY BODY WHO LOOKS AT HIS INFAMOUS RECORD­ AGAINST NADAL ARE MAKING 2 MISTAKES 1ST-HE HAS NEVER­ PLAYED NADAL ON CLAY 2ND-HE HAS ALWAYS PLAYED HIM ON­ HARDCOURTS TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR A TIME WERE­ NADAL IS ALWAYS AT HIS WORST BECAUSE OF HIS KNEES AND­ TIREDNESS,JUST LOOK AT HIS RESULTS LAST YEAR AROUND­ THAT TIME HE LOST TO GILLES SIMON AND andy murray BOTH­ LESSER PLAYERS WHOM HE BEATS FINGERS IN THE NOSE WHEN­ HE IS FIT.

    From simonramond, on Thu 23 Apr 6:57PM

  15. vamos rafa your fans want record 2-2 against­ nalbandian. blake you are next be sure aboute that your­ record against nadal is only matter of time.

    From rafaelo807, on Thu 23 Apr 5:45PM
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