This one is coming up next from Barcelona. I really expect Nadal to be too much for him, but Starace has been on quite a run on clay. He won a challenger in Napoli, then made the Valencia finals leading up to this tournament. Now he's made it to the QF round here. He may give Nadal a bit of a test.

Well, Starace takes the first point to lead 15-0. I've done some extensive factual analysis to show that the player who wins the first point wins the match approximately 50% of the time, so it looks like Starace has a decent shot, after all.

Starace holds to 15 to open the match. Nadal does the same on his opening serve.

1-1

roflmao roflmao

How dare you laugh at my factual analysis!! :angry:

Anyway, seems I've lost the live scores for now.

Ah, here we go . . . .

2-2 Now, with the server holding to 15 in each game so far.

Nadal grabs the first break of serve to lead 3-2

Another break from Nadal, and he is now serving for the set at 5-2.

Starace gets back on track slightly to hold at the start of the second set, but he has seemed to generally fall apart at the key moments. I expect another routine win for Nadal in this set.

6-2 0-1

OK. I'm just following the live scores and not able to watch, but as soon as I say the above, Starace pulls to deuce from 40-0 down on Nadal's serve. But Nadal holds on for 1-1.

A tense game here in the second set, with Starace serving at 4-4. He's had some break points on Nadal's serve in this set, but hasn't been able to convert. We've had a couple deuces in this game. If Nadal breaks here, it's all over . . .

And he does. Nadal serving at 6-2 5-4.

Pretty good battle from Starace, but Nadal seemed to be better on the key points.

For the match so far, Nadal has been 3/3 on saving break points; Starace 0-3.

Perhaps I've written of Potito a bit too soon. Two break points on Nadal's serve at 40-15. And he breaks right back to level at 5-5. I still expect Nadal to win, but good nerve from Starace there.

Go Nadal :clap:

GSM Rafael. I just Love this guy :clap: :D

'Tis all over. Nadal wins 6-2 7-5.

Starace may be a dangerous floater in the clay season, though.

...and 70 straight clay wins for Nadal. :clap:

Well done Rafael.

:hug: you have good taste in men Mo ;)