Rafael Nadal wins in straight sets at Barcelona Open

Rafael Nadal, the King of Clay, once again showcased his dominance on the red dirt as he cruised to victory in straight sets at the Barcelona Open. The Spanish tennis maestro displayed his trademark power and precision as he dismantled his opponent with ease.

Nadal's performance was a masterclass in clay court tennis, with his powerful forehands and relentless baseline play proving too much for his opponent to handle. The crowd at the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona was treated to a display of skill and determination as Nadal asserted his authority on the court.

Now ranked 644th, Nadal was playing for the first time since January because of a hip injury and abdominal issues.

Nadal has indicated 2024 is likely to be his last as a professional player.

After pulling out of last year's French Open with the hip problem, the former world number one said he planned to retire at the end of this season.

Nadal, who is considered as one of the best players in history and greatest clay-courter of all time, has only played one event since.

Cobolli understandably looked nervous and contributed to the scoreline with far too many errors, but a big factor in that was the pressure being exerted from the other end of the court. A blip came when Nadal, who is set to retire at some point this season, played a poor game to drop serve for the first time in the third game of the second set but he had already broken Cobolli and quickly restored his advantage.

There were some vintage forehands from Nadal in the final stages and he clinched victory when Cobolli netted a final backhand, thrusting his fist into the air.

Stands packed with adoring fans. A pumped-up Nadal. A dominant win on clay. This was a throwback to the sort of occasion that the Spaniard has served up across his historic career, and particularly during his record 12 title runs at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell.

It was a big sporting Tuesday in the city, one which also included football giant FC Barcelona hosting French rival Paris Saint Germain. Hours before that crunch Champions League match began, Nadal took to court against Flavio Cobolli to give a stunning reminder of his ability to whip up the sort of atmosphere that the city’s star footballers might also be familiar with.

The Spaniard sealed the contest on his second match point with a hold to 15, and will face what looks set to be a much stiffer test against the fourth seed Alex De Minaur on Wednesday.

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Sarah H

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