Andy Murray lost to Dominic Thiem on Saturday at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, but believes his game is rounding into form as the battle for year-end No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings continues to heat up.

After an early loss last week to Albert Ramos-Vinolas at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, Murray turned the tables on the Spaniard with a three-set quarter-final win this week. The Brit craved matches as he arrived in Barcelona and got just that, playing three quality opponents in lengthy tussles he believes will serve him well for upcoming ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome.

“I got three matches in three days against very different players. Feliciano Lopez is serving well and using a lot of slice and variation, [then] another lefty in Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Thiem is the first right-hander I’ve played in the clay-court season, which changes things with the kick serve and the spin,” said Murray. “It was good for me to play a number of different match-ups. To play for over two hours today and three [hours] yesterday will be good for me as well.”

After taking the title this March in Dubai, a right elbow injury limited Murray to a single match in six weeks. Roger Federer came alive in his absence by winning back-to-back ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami. Rafael Nadal also put himself back in the winners circle by prevailing in Monte-Carlo and could win his 10^th title in Barcelona on Sunday.

Learn More about the Emirates ATP Rankings and Emirates ATP Race to London

Murray currently has 11,690 points in the Emirates ATP Rankings. He holds a healthy 3,605 point lead over World No. 2 Novak Djokovic and has at least double the points of everyone else on the ATP World Tour.

But in the Emirates ATP Race to London, it’s Federer (4,045) and Nadal (3,245) who hold a clear lead over their peers in the standings. Murray currently sits at No. 11 (930).

It will be crucial for Murray to continue improving as he returns home for a week of training before competing in Madrid and Rome. Murray prevailed last year in Rome and finished runner-up to Djokovic in Madrid and Roland Garros, for a total of 2,800 points. By comparison, Nadal accumulated 630 points during that three-tournament stretch and Federer only played Rome, earning 90 points for a third-round showing.

The good news for Murray is that he’s fully recovered from his right elbow injury and has been able to resume hard training sessions. His fitness has also passed the test after coming out unscathed in several grueling matches. If he finds himself back in top form, the World No. 1 will be a clear contender to win any of the remaining clay-court events. 

Aljaz Bedene continued his outstanding play on Saturday at the Gazprom Hungarian Open in Budapest, sweeping past fellow qualifier Laslo Djere 6-2, 6-4 to reach the final.

“The first set was very solid. I made a few more errors in the second set, but I was serving well the whole match and it helped,” said Bedene. “I was working really hard in the pre-season and staying solid, so I’m really happy with how I’m playing. It’s great to play in a final.”

Next up for the Brit in the final is either top seed Lucas Pouille or sixth seed Paolo Lorenzi. Pouille leads his FedEx ATP Head2Head with Bedene 1-0 after claiming victory this February in Marseille.

Bedene is through to his second ATP World Tour final, having finished runner-up in Chennai in January 2015 (l. Wawrinka). He has been in red-hot form throughout April, winning back-to-back ATP Challenger Tour titles in Sophia Antipolis and Barletta. Including his wins in the Budapest qualifying draw, the 27-year-old Brit is riding a 16-match win streak.

Bedene dropped just three points in racing out a 4-0 lead in the opening set before eventually taking the early advantage. The Brit only needed a single break of serve in the second set at 3-3 to clinch the match in 77 minutes.

Despite the loss, the 22-year-old Djere, currently No. 184 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, completed a career-best week by reaching his first ATP World Tour semi-final.

DOUBLES

Third seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah are through to the final after defeating Robin Haase and Dominic Inglot 6-3, 6-7, 10-3. This is the third ATP World Tour doubles final of 2017 for the Colombian Power, having won the title in Buenos Aires (d. Gonzalez/Marrero) and finished runner-up in Rio de Janeiro (l. Cuevas/Carreno Busta).

Awaiting them in the championship are third seeds Brian Baker and Nikola Mektic, who also seek their second title together in 2017 after prevailing this February in Memphis (d. Harrison/Johnson).

Rafael Nadal inched closer to a 10^th title at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell on Friday as he withstood a spirited challenge to defeat #NextGenATP star Hyeon Chung 7-6(1), 6-2 in the quarter-finals.

“He was playing at a very high level throughout the tournament and played well today. He has good potential, [a] great backhand and [is] very quick. He has all the right things to be a good player,” said Nadal. “He had chances in the first set and I’m happy that I started to play better after the first six games.”

The Spaniard will next play Horacio Zeballos, who continued his dream run by knocking off another #NextGenATP player in Karen Khachanov, 6-4, 6-1. Nadal and Zeballos are even in their FedEx ATP Head2Head at 1-1, with both matches coming on clay. The Argentine won their most recent meeting by upsetting Nadal in the championship match at Vina del Mar in February 2013.

“It’s another opportunity for me to fight, to be in the final day and enjoy this tournament,” said Nadal. “I’ll try to get ready for tomorrow now.”

Watch Nadal Hot Shot

The 20-year-old Chung, who is a contender to qualify for the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan at the end of the year, came into the contest having not lost a set in five matches. He qualified into the main draw before beating Denis Istomin, Philipp Kohlschreiber and Alexander Zverev.

The Korean was more than a match for nine-time champion Nadal in the opening stages with his aggressive style of play, leading the Spaniard by a service break at 3-1 before eventually succumbing in the tie-break. His challenge fell away in the second set, though, as Nadal’s relentless pressure began to tell. The Spaniard broke in the first and fifth games to wrap up victory in one hour and 44 minutes. He now has a 51-3 record at this ATP World Tour 500 clay-court tournament.

The 30-year-old Nadal is coming off a record 10^th title at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. He is also looking to complete la decima this week in Barcelona, and then at the climax of the clay-court season at Roland Garros.

In the final match of the day, Zeballos didn’t drop serve against Khachanov and went on an eight-game run from 3-4 in the first set to prevail in 74 minutes. The 32-year-old Argentine, currently No. 84 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, will look to reach his first ATP World Tour final since his title run four years ago in Vina del Mar.

DOUBLES

Philipp Petzschner and Alexander Peya were flawless in reaching the doubles final with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Fabrice Martin and Edouard Roger-Vasselin. Petzschner/Peya didn’t face a break point en route to prevailing in 46 minutes.

In quarter-final action, Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau defeated Lukasz Kubot and Mischa Zverev 6-3, 6-4. They’ll next play Florin Mergea and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi on Saturday.

Top seed Lucas Pouille booked his spot in the semi-finals of the Gazprom Hungarian Open on Friday as he defeated Martin Klizan 6-4, 6-3 in Budapest.

The Frenchman saved two match points to edge Jiri Vesely in his opening second-round match on Thursday, but had an easier time against Klizan, claiming victory in 84 minutes as he saved five of seven break points.

“I think it was a great match,” said Pouille. “It was much better than yesterday. My level is increasing and that’s good because tomorrow I know it’s going to be a tough one. I’m very happy with my performance today.”

The 23-year-old Pouille is coming off his second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-final showing at last week’s Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters (l. to Ramos-Vinolas) and improved to a 7-1 mark on clay for the season.

Currently at a career-high No. 14 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, Pouille is bidding to win his second ATP World Tour title, adding to his victory in Metz last year.

For a place in the final, Pouille will face sixth seed Paolo Lorenzi, who defeated Andrey Kuznetsov 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 33 minutes, fending off a late fightback from the Russian after leading 5-1 in the second set. “I think it was one of my best matches of the year,” said Lorenzi. “He was playing really good tennis. I’m very happy about the match.”

Pouille leads Lorenzi 2-0 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, including victory over the Italian last week in Monte-Carlo. Lorenzi is looking to reach his second ATP World Tour final of the season, after finishing runner-up on clay in Quito in February (l. to Estrella Burgos).

In doubles semi-final action, fourth seeds Brian Baker and Nikola Mektic defeated second seeds Treat Huey and Max Mirnyi 6-4, 6-2.