Nadal, Tsitsipas to play final

Barcelona, April 24: World No. 3 Rafael Nadal and number 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas have made it to the final of the Barcelona Open. Tsitsipas defeated Italy’s Jannik Sinner 6-3, 6-3 while Nadal rallied to a 6-3, 6-2 win against fellow countryman Pablo Carreno Busta in the ATP 500 event on Saturday.
It was at the same venue three years ago that Tsitsipas had made a major breakthrough, reaching his maiden ATP Tour final. The reigning Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters champion saved all four break points he faced to improve his unbeaten record on clay this year to 9-0.
“It was very close. It was a close match,” Tsitsipas told the ATP Tour site. “He (Sinner) had a lot of break point opportunities on my serve. It could have been different, but I stayed tough and I converted those break points (I had). That was crucial and very important.”
After taking a 2-1 lead in his ATP head-to-head series against Sinner, Tsitsipas has now matched Russian Andrey Rublev’s tour-leading total of 26 victories this season.
Nadal is chasing his 12th title at the ATP 500 event. He is the only player to lift 12 or more tour-level trophies at the same tournament, with a claim of 13 titles at Roland Garros. (IANS)