Aid agencies sound the alarm as Israel's Gaza blockade enters a second month    Asian markets plunge as Trump's global tariff turmoil deepens    Trump's crackdown on university protests is casting a long shadow    Le Pen vows to fight conviction but large-scale protests fail to materialize    Al-Jasser: work is underway to restructure and develop aviation infrastructure    KAU to host Digital Communication Conference in Jeddah from April 29 to May 1    TGA: Riyadh tops with 45% of 290 million orders delivered in 2024    Diriyah to host third IMFC Deputies meeting under Saudi chairmanship    15,135 decisions taken to penalize Saudis and expats for violations    Saudi-European Parliamentary Friendship Committee discusses cooperation during Strasbourg visit    Saudi stock market loses half a trillion riyals, with Aramco's losses amounting to SR340 billion Tariff turmoil rattles Gulf markets    Benzema rescues Al Ittihad with stoppage-time equalizer in thrilling Jeddah Derby    Al Qadsiah and Al Ettifaq share spoils in tense Eastern Derby stalemate    Moussa Diaby praises Al Ittihad's resilience after Jeddah Derby draw "When you can't win, you take a point"    Saudi assistant referee Iman Al Madani joins AFC elite list for 2025    Riyadh Art Week launches with over 50 galleries showcasing global artistic dialogue    Turki Al-Sheikh announces five new Saudi film projects to be produced in Riyadh    Saudi Ministry of Education to showcase innovations at 2025 Geneva International Exhibition    Ed Sheeran weaves Persian music into new song, Azizam    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Screen time in bed linked to insomnia, study finds    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Nadal, Nishikori ease through in Barcelona
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 21 - 04 - 2016

Fresh from winning the Monte Carlo Masters Rafael Nadal continued his fine form with a 6-3, 6-2 win over fellow Spaniard Marcel Granollers to reach the third round of the Barcelona Open Wednesday.
Nadal is looking to equal Argentine legend Guillermo Vilas' record of 49 clay-court tournament wins and capture a ninth title in the Catalan capital after suffering shock defeats in the past two years.
The 14-time Grand Slam champion was rarely troubled despite losing his serve in the opening game as he fought back to move into a 4-1 lead and sealed victory after just over 90 minutes on court to improve his head-to-head record over Granollers to 4-0.
"The start was very difficult because it was very windy," said Nadal. "I started with less depth than I wanted, but it was very important to break back straight away and from that point on it was more straightforward."
Nadal will face another Spaniard in Albert Montanes in the last 16 Thursday. Montañés beat João Sousa of Portugal 6-1, 6-3;
"I have been playing very well in Monte Carlo, but this is a new tournament and every day there is a difficult opponent."
Defending champion Kei Nishikori is likely to be Nadal's biggest threat and the Japanese extended his unbeaten run in Barcelona to 11 matches with a comfortable 6-4, 6-2 win over the Netherlands' Thiemo de Bakker.
Nishikori needed just over an hour to dispose of the world No. 102 as he broke in the first game of each set and held serve throughout to win his first match of the season on clay.
The world No. 6, who also won in the title in 2014, will face French 13th seed Jeremy Chardy in the next round.
Nadal could face his conqueror from last year's US Open, Italian Fabio Fognini, in the quarterfinals after he won just his fourth match of the season 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 against Russia's Mikhail Youzhny.
German teenage sensation Alexander Zverev is also into the third round after edging past 15th seed Thomaz Bellucci 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 7-5.
Elsewhere Serbian Viktor Troicki beat Márton Fucsovics of Hungary 6-4, 1-6, 6-0; Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany thrashed Pablo Carreño-Busta of Spain 6-2, 6-1; Malek Jaziri of Tunisia stopped Renzo Olivo of Argentina 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.
Sharapova hearing scheduled
International Tennis Federation President David Haggerty says a disciplinary hearing has been scheduled in Maria Sharapova's doping case, with a ruling possible before Wimbledon.
Haggerty tells reporters the independent Tennis Integrity Unit typically takes "two to three months" to process a case. That could deliver a verdict in June.
Haggerty says he has not been told details of the case, including when and where the hearing will be held.
Sharapova was provisionally suspended after announcing on March 8 that she tested positive for meldonium at the Australian Open in January.
The Russian said she had been prescribed the blood-flow boosting drug since 2006, and had been unaware the World Anti-Doping Agency had prohibited its use from Jan. 1.
Russian officials want Sharapova to play at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August. — Agencies


Clic here to read the story from its source.