Barcelona Open: Rafael Nadal one match from equaling clay-court record

Rafael Nadal continued his flawless start to the European clay-court season by beating Philipp Kohlschreiber to book his place in the Barcelona Open final Saturday.

Nadal eased his German opponent aside 6-3 6-3 in one hour and 32 minutes.

The victory means the Nadal is now just one win away from equaling Guillermo Vilas’ record of 49 career clay-court titles.

But the 14-time grandslam winner will come up against another consummate clay-court performer in the shape of Kei Nishikori in Sunday’s final.

Nishikori is on a 14-match winning streak on the Barcelona mud having won back-to-back titles there in 2014 and 2015.

The Japanese player swept aside French sixth-seed, Benoit Paire, in Saturday’s other semifinal 6-3 6-2.

“It will be a very difficult match against one of the best players in the world without doubt,” Nadal told Spanish TV station Teledeporte in comments later carried by the AFP news agency.

“I have to be prepared and give my best,” he added.

Nadal was triumphant at the Monte Carlo Masters last weekend and required just one break to take the first set against Kohlschreiber Saturday.

He had to be patient at the start of the second set but eventually broke twice as he took the last four games to close out the match.

“Of my last six matches perhaps it was the one where I had least rhythm,” added Nadal.

“I missed a lot more on my backhand, but I overcame that well and (am) very happy to be in the final again.”

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It's been a turbulent 2015 season for Rafael Nadal, the 14-time grand slam winner.

It began poorly, with the Spaniard losing to Tomas Berdych at the Australian Open. Berdych is a top-10 player but Nadal had beaten the Czech 17 straight times.

Nadal suffered an upset loss to Canada's Milos Raonic at Indian Wells in March but worse was to come in May. On his favored surface, he was crushed at home by Andy Murray, pictured.

The French Open, where Nadal has won a record nine titles, didn't change the momentum. He lost -- and in straight sets -- to Novak Djokovic.

The lone other player to have beaten Nadal at Roland Garros is Robin Soderling in 2009.

The tour switched to grass and Nadal began well, claiming a title in Stuttgart.

But on the bigger stage of Wimbledon, Nadal was upset again, this time by a player ranked 102nd, Germany's Dustin Brown.

It was seven years ago that Nadal won his first Wimbledon, defeating Roger Federer in what many believe is the greatest tennis match of all time.

There are calls for Nadal to axe his influential coach and uncle, Toni, or bring in a further coach alongside.

Nadal hasn't made any coaching changes yet and with Toni looking on, he won a tournament in Hamburg a week ago. He didn't, however, have to face anyone inside the top 25.

Nadal begins his U.S. Open Series hard-court campaign this week in Montreal, with the New York grand slam three weeks away. If he doesn't triumph in New York, his streak of capturing at least one major every year since 2005 comes to an end.

Rafael Nadal's difficult season

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