Rafael Nadal warned by Martin Klizan ahead of Barcelona Open quarter-final showdown
MARTIN KLIZAN has claimed that Rafael Nadal is beatable ahead of their Barcelona Open quarter-final showdown.
Nadal remembers 'unforgettable moment' at Barcelona Open
Nadal reached the last eight by beating Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in straight sets this afternoon.
The world No 1 had struggled to reach his best form in the Catalonian competition but he cranked through the gears against his fellow Spaniard.
Nadal now faces Novak Djokovic’s conqueror Martin Kilzan tomorrow - but the Slovenian is not afraid of coming up against the best player in the world.
It has been almost a year since Nadal has even dropped a set on clay as he won his 39th and 40th consecutive sets against Garcia Lopez.
Rafael Nadal is through to the Barcelona Open quarter-finals
Nadal seems to be in a great form, but he is also human, nobody is unbeatable
But Klizan remains confident of getting a result - and he has won one of his previous three battles against the ‘King of Clay’.
"Nadal seems to be in a great form, but he is also human, nobody is unbeatable,” Klizan said.
“He is a legend. Win or lose, to face him in a quarter-final is to feel proud."
Klizan had to come through a gruelling qualifying process to participate in the Barcelona Open, while Nadal was handed a bye into the second round.
Martin Klizan knocked out Novak Djokovic on his way to the quarter-finals
"I came from the previous phase and I had to play a lot of matches,” Klizan added.
“In the first round I played almost three hours.
“Luckily I have not been on track so much today, so I can rest and prepare well for tomorrow.”