betprepare.com

Nishikori is one obstacle away from defending the title

Kei defeated injured Klizan easier than expected in two sets and earned a spot in the final. No one though the second finalist would come this far. He is Pablo Andujar, who, after a win against Fognini, also surprised David Ferrer, for the first time ever.

Nishikori got revenge for last year's defeat against Klizan and earned a spot in the final with only three lost games. Klizan asked for medical assistance in the quarter-final for his right ankle and forearm, but that didn't cause problems in his game. He opened the match against Nishikori with bandages on his right arm, but realistically, he played normally, there were no signs of injury. He played too aggressively from the start and, with a lot of unforced errors, gave Nishikori a 5-0 lead. 

The Japanese played good tennis. Even though his first serve was at 52%, he was more than successful after it. He also had an advantage in the rallies since he was consistent enough to force Klizan to make 22 unforced errors in 13 games. He finished the match with 25 winners and 15 unforced errors, and other than a few moments in which he lost focus, he can be happy with the way he played. He was once again good during break points (6/6 saved break points) and he reached the filnal once more with authority. He said after the win: 

- I am really excited to be in the Barcelona final again. I played a good match, everything was perfect. I am happy because of the win and the way I played. It's not usual to play two conecutive finals, especially on a tournament as strong as this one. Winning the trophy in Barcelona last year gave me a lot of confidence and changed the way I play on clay. I became more aggressive, more confident on my serve and more precise on returns. I think I am playing more and more like the Spaniards. 

Home player Pablo Andujar will try to stop the Japanese in his venture to defend the title. Not many people saw Pablo in the final, but he raised his game against Fornini and Ferrer and earned the finale with really great tennis. In reality, Andujar is playing the best tennis of his carer in Barcelona. Ferrer had a better start of the match and took a 4-1 lead but Andujar then returned to the game. He used Ferrer's problems with serve and turned around the result to 6-5 with a serve for the set. 

He didn't use it and he was losing 2-6 in the tiebreak. The set seemed lost at that time, but Ferrer became nervous and started to rush too much. He gambled the set away and lost confidence. Andujar, on the other hand, was destroying him throughout the match with backhand parallels and drop shots to which he had no response. Truth be told, it was Ferrer's fault he lost because he stupidly gambled the first set away, but Andujar, who finished the match with 32 winners and 27 unforced errors, also deserves credit. 

After the match, Ferrer admitted that he lost focus at the end of the first set and the start of the second. That is why he lost. Andujar used what was offered and earned the win. However, he has to play against the amazing Japanese player who seems rather unstoppable right now. Kei has great movements, he is confident on his first serve and doesn't make many mistakes so he should defeat Andujar as well and defend the title. 

The dominance with which Kei wins is amazing. It was always clear we can expect great things from him, but I didn't expect such progress so fast. He worked on his mass, stamina and technique because of which scores came before they were expected. From one match to another his game level is rising, and clay seems to suit him better than anything else. That's why his stamina, technique and the ability to hold long exchanges come to shine. He lost a set to Bautista-Agut, but just because his shape fell a little; but in the third set he didn't want to risk anymore so he pumped it up little and pulverized his opponent. Andujar achieved something amazing here, but as weird as it may sound, he had too many fellow national players as his opponents which suited him. Beating Fognini may sound surprising, especially after he beat Nadal, but Fognini is a completely unreliable player because he can lose to anyone, as well as beat the best. What's surprising is beting Ferrer, in a quite equal match; Ferrer wasn't his level, he again has foot problems and as unexpected as it may be, he underestimated his opponent. Of course Andujar is laying well, he wouldn't have reached this level if it were the opposite, but Kei is slightly better and I think he will dominate this duel. He will win more exchanges, he'll be cooler and make less errors. It's clear Andujar is playing at home and that the pressure is big, but this part of the tournament is more than enough for his level of tennis, so I think he won't handle the pressure well, especially after today's opponent who will frustrate him additionally.