Kei Nishikori wins first title on clay at Barcelona Open

Japanese player sealed his fifth career ATP title with a win at the Barcelona Open while Maria Sharapova fought back from a set and a break down to take her third consecutive Stuttgart title.

Kei Nishikori celebrates after winning the Barcelona Open final against Colombian Santiago Giraldo on Sunday. The Japanese took the match 6-2, 6-2. Josep Lago / AFP
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Japan’s Kei Nishikori sealed his fifth career ATP title and first on clay Sunday with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Colombian Santiago Giraldo to claim the Barcelona Open.

Nishikori, who was playing for the first time on clay this week under new coach and former French Open champion Michael Chang, becomes the first non-Spaniard to win the event since 2002.

“I always love to come to Barcelona, and it is a pleasure and honour to be here,” said the world No 17. “Thank you to my team, Dante [Bottini] and Michael, and I hope I come back next year and defend this title.

“It is not easy to win this title with all the Spanish players that play here. It is one of the most difficult ATP 500 tournaments and I am very happy to win.”

Giraldo was playing in just his second career final and his inexperience showed, as Nishikori dictated play from the start and broke three times on his way to taking the first set.

More of the same was to come in the second set as Nishikori raced out to a 5-1 lead before serving out for the championship.

However, Giraldo is hopeful that his run in Catalunya can spur him on for the rest of the season.

“I hope that this week can be a new stage in my tennis at the highest level,” he said.

Top-seeded and eight-time champion Rafael Nadal was knocked out by Spanish compatriot Nicolas Almagro in the quarter-finals.

Elsewhere, Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov won his second ATP title of the year yesterday when he defeated Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic 7-6, 6-1 in the final of the Bucharest Open.

Ranked 16th in the world, Dimitrov previously had won in Acapulco, where he defeated Andy Murray in the semi-finals, yet he struggled against the big-hitting Rosol in the first set.

The Bulgarian took a 2-0 lead in what was the pair’s first meeting, but defending-champion Rosol bounced back immediately.

Rosol saved four set points before Dimitrov dominated the tie-break to wrap up the first set in 58 minutes.

He maintained the momentum by taking a 2-0 lead in the second set and broke Rosol for a third time as he moved on to his 20th match win of 2014.

“It feels good to have won,” said Dimitrov who now has three career titles. “I knew I had to lift my level, especially after the first set. Lukas is a very good player, who hit some outstanding winners.

“I have worked really hard to start winning titles. I have put in enough effort, time and sacrifices to get here.”

Dimitrov reached the final on Saturday when his French opponent, Gael Monfils, retired after 16 minutes of their semi-final.

Sharapova rallies for third consecutive Stuttgart championship

Sixth-seeded Maria Sharapova fought back from a set and a break down to beat Ana Ivanovic 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 and win her third consecutive Stuttgart title on Sunday.

Former world No 1 Ivanovic raced to a 5-0 lead before taking the first set and breaking early in the second as the Serbian seemed set for victory.

Sharapova, however, had other ideas and took 11 of the final 13 games.

“For the first half of the match, I thought it might not be my day today, but somehow I turned it around,” the Russian said after winning the 30th WTA title of her career.

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