Rafael Nadal is one set away from his 12th Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell title after taking the first set of the championship match 6-4 against Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The Spaniard saved five of the six break points he faced to become the first player to take a set off Tsitsipas on clay this season. Nadal was put under consistent pressure on serve in the first set, but he escaped danger with strong serving and powerful forehands. The 11-time champion, who was forced into defensive positions early in the set, earned four consecutive games from 2-4 to clinch the first set in 59 minutes.
Nadal is aiming to repeat his 2018 Barcelona final win against Tsitsipas and avenge his five-set loss to the 22-year-old in the Australian Open quarter-finals in February. The 20-time Grand Slam champion owns a 6-2 ATP Head2Head record against the second seed.
Tsitsipas is bidding to become the first player to defeat Nadal in a Barcelona final (11-0). The FedEx ATP Race To Turin leader, who won his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters last week, entered the final with a 9-0 record on clay in 2021 and had won all 17 sets he had contested on the surface this season.
[WATCH LIVE 1]
Did You Know?
Nadal will return to No. 2 in the FedEx ATP Rankings if he claims the trophy in Barcelona.
The Spaniard saved five of the six break points he faced to become the first player to take a set off Tsitsipas on clay this season. Nadal was put under consistent pressure on serve in the first set, but he escaped danger with strong serving and powerful forehands. The 11-time champion, who was forced into defensive positions early in the set, earned four consecutive games from 2-4 to clinch the first set in 59 minutes.
Nadal is aiming to repeat his 2018 Barcelona final win against Tsitsipas and avenge his five-set loss to the 22-year-old in the Australian Open quarter-finals in February. The 20-time Grand Slam champion owns a 6-2 ATP Head2Head record against the second seed.
Tsitsipas is bidding to become the first player to defeat Nadal in a Barcelona final (11-0). The FedEx ATP Race To Turin leader, who won his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters last week, entered the final with a 9-0 record on clay in 2021 and had won all 17 sets he had contested on the surface this season.
[WATCH LIVE 1]
Did You Know?
Nadal will return to No. 2 in the FedEx ATP Rankings if he claims the trophy in Barcelona.