Barcelona Open: Rafael Nadal, Kei Nishikori enter semi-finals
In the other half Japanese second seed Kei Nishikori, bidding to defend the title, beat Alexandr Dolgopolov in straight sets.
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Barcelona: Rafael Nadal struggled to finish off Fabio Fognini at the Barcelona Open on Friday but eventually quelled one of his most troublesome opponents 6-2 7-6(1) to reach the semi-finals.
Fognini, who beat Nadal in the tournament last year and knocked him out of the U.S. Open, hit back with two breaks after trailing 0-2 in the second set and served to send the match into a decider.
Showman Fognini saved three match points from 0-40 at 5-6, one with an outrageous drop shot, before succumbing in the tiebreak.
Left-hander Nadal, eyeing a 10th French Open title next month, will face Andrey Kuznetsov or Philipp Kohlschreiber in the semi-finals.
In the other half Japanese second seed Kei Nishikori, bidding to defend the title, beat Alexandr Dolgopolov in straight sets and will play unpredictable Frenchman Benoit Paire for a place in the final.
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