Rafael Nadal defeated compatriot Nicolas
Almagro 6-4, 6-3 to clinch the Barcelona Open
for the eighth time on Sunday.
Nadal broke Almagro in three of the next four
service games after trailing 3-0 in the first set.
Sunday’s final was Nadal’s sixth straight finals
after returning from a knee injury layoff which
sidelined him since last summer.
The victory over Almagro had him pick- up the
54th title of his career, one week after ending his
eight- year reign at Monte Carlo agains No. 1
seeded Novak Djokovic.
Nadal boast an impressive record over Almargo,
having won all 10 of his matches against the
12th- seeded. He has won 39 straight matches on
the red clay at Real Club de Tenis, his last loss
coming ten years ago.
