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The former World. No. 1, playing Andreas Seppi, beat the Italian in straight sets, cruising to a 6-1, 6-2 win. The match was relatively quick, ending in 1 hour and 18 minutes as the Spaniard dominated court.
Nadal broke Seppi a massive 7 times to register a cakewalk win over the Italian. He will face Seppi’s compatriot Fabio Fognini, who was ranked a career high of World No. 14 last year, in the finals, and is currently at no. 32 in the WTA men’s rankings. Nadal is currently 10th.
The two have faced each other 6 times before, with Nadal winning 4 of those games.
The last meeting between Nadal and Fognini occurred earlier this year at Barcelona, when Nadal lost to the Italian in the round of 16 in straight sets. This was on a clay surface, long known to be where Nadal is most comfortable.
Clay expert Nadal will be looking for his 47th win on the surface at the Hamburg Open final this Sunday. Jamie Murray, the brother of UK tennis star Andy Murray, will play in the doubles final with partner John Peers of Australia.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
