Kei Nishikori vs Pablo Andujar Preview – ATP Barcelona 2015 Final

Kei Nishikori vs Pablo Andujar Preview – ATP Barcelona 2015 Final

  • Posted: Apr 26, 2015

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Once again, for just the second time in the tournament’s history, a non-Spanish native will look to win the Barcelona Open title. Kei Nishikori, who is the defending champion, will look to retain his title with a victory over Spain’s Pablo Andujar. This marks the fourth time that these two competitors will cross paths on the professional tour, with Nishikori leading the head to head series 2-1.

Watch the final match live: Nishikori vs Andujar Live Streaming

In a breezy match en route to the tournament final, Kei Nishikori defeated Martin Klizan 6-1, 6-2 to further his campaign for a second crown in Barcelona. The Japanese No. 1 hit 25 winners and saved all six of the break points he faced to secure the victory.

“I’m delighted to be playing the final again,” said Nishikori. “You don’t usually play two finals in a row, especially in such a difficult tournament, with many great players. Lifting the trophy here last year gave me a lot of confidence and I think I changed my way of playing on clay.

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“I’ve become more aggressive, my service is better and so is my return. I guess my style is becoming more Spanish. I still feel more comfortable on hard court than on clay but these last four matches have been great and I think they’ve helped me improve.”

In a surprising upset, former four-time finalist David Ferrer was ousted from the Barcelona Open following a straight sets loss to Pablo Andujar. Andujar struck 32 winners to close out the match 7-6(6), 6-3.

This is just the fourth time that Nishikori and Andujar will cross paths on the ATP World Tour, with Nishikori leading the head-to-head series 2-1, including the most recent encounter at last year’s US Open. However, Andujar won their sole clay court encounter at the Madrid Masters in 2013 and it will be interesting if he can topple the Japanese No. 1 once again on his preferred surface.

Prediction: Kei Nishikori in Three Sets

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