Rafael Nadal beats Martin Klizan at Barcelona Open to record 17th successive victory on clay
World no 1 continues record-breaking clay run as he aims to retain Barcelona crown and stay top of world rankings
Saturday 28 April 2018 12:03, UK
Rafael Nadal moved into yet another clay-court semi-final after beating Martin Klizan to reach the Barcelona Open last four, but Dominic Thiem and Grigor Dimitrov crashed out.
It's now nine wins in a row on clay for the defending champion and he was given only a minor scare by Slovakian qualifier Klizan, who knocked out Novak Djokovic earlier in the week.
Nadal raced through the opening set, breaking Klizan on three occasions to rack up yet another 6-0 set during his scintillating run of form.
Klizan, who won the pair's last meeting four years ago in Beijing, briefly threatened in the second set, landing an early break of serve but Nadal was not to be denied and he rallied for a 6-0 7-5 victory over the world No 140.
Friday's victory means it is now 42 consecutive set wins on clay as part of a 17-match winning run on the surface that began at last year's French Open - and an 11th title at Roland Garros is his ultimate target.
Klizan is the first person in that run to take more than four games off Nadal in a set but it was not enough and the Spaniard will face David Goffin in the last four on Saturday after the eighth seed beat Roberto Bautista Agut and it is difficult to see anyone causing the 31-year-old a problem based on his current form.
He chalked up an 11th Monte Carlo crown last week, hammering Kei Nishikori in Sunday's final and he needs two more wins for title number 11 in Catalonia after another ruthless display.
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Having seen six of the top eight seeds reach the quarter-finals, Friday's action saw the big guns struggle before top seed Nadal made amends.
World No 7 and clay court specialist Thiem was the last man to beat Nadal on the red dirt, in Rome last year. But he was the first seed to perish on quarter-final day, suffering a straight-sets defeat to highly-rated Greek teenager Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The 19-year-old world No 63 chalked up an surprise 6-3 6-2 victory against a tired-looking Thiem and will next face fifth seed Pablo Carreno Busta after the Spaniard proved too good for last year's ATP Finals winner Dimitrov.
The Bulgarian was bidding to follow up his run to the semi-final in Monte Carlo, where he ran into the formidable Nadal, but instead fell to the 16-time Grand Slam winners compatriot.
Carreno Busta produced a controlled display to dispatch the world no 5 with an impressive 6-3 7-6 success and remain on course for a first ATP title in front of his own fans with a first career semi-final in Barcelona.
Coverage of the ATP Barcelona Open semi-finals gets underway on Sky Sports Arena on Saturday from 12.30pm with the final on Sunday from 3pm.
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