Nadal wins eighth Barcelona crown

Originally published on: 29/04/13 00:00

The world No.5, who saw his eight-year reign at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters end with defeat to Novak Djokovic in the final, defeated fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro 6-4 6-3.

"I feel very happy to lift the trophy once again here in Barcelona," Nadal said. "It means a lot, especially after the difficult year I've had.”

Nadal, who has reached the final of all six tournaments since his return from a knee injury in February, rallied from a double break down in the opening set as he took his winning streak in Barcelona to 39 consecutive matches.

"The conditions were very difficult today, especially in the first six games as it was raining a lot,” Nadal admitted. "I am extremely satisfied about being able to defeat a player like Nico in straight sets in the final.

“I played better and better as the match went on and the break at 1-3 in the first set was vital for me. In the second set, things went smoother and I managed [to do] well in all the difficult moments."

It was Almagro’s 10th career defeat from as many meetings against Nadal, but he remained optimistic despite missing out on the title.

"I feel okay after the match," he said. "I fought all week to be able to be in the final and I reached my goal. Once there, you want to win, so yes I feel a bit disappointed about it but I need to look at it positively and it's been a great week for me overall.”

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