(April 28, 2013) Rafael Nadal recovered from an 0-3 start to defeat Nicolas Almagro 6-4, 6-3 to gain his eighth Barcelona Open tournament victory – a record. He has now won 39 matches in a row at the tournament.
“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. The conditions were very difficult today, especially in the first six games as it was raining a lot.”
“I am extremely satisfied about being able to defeat a player like Nico (Almagro) 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.”
Nadal is the first player of the 2013 season to win four tournaments.