Tennis : Nadal reaches semi-finals of Barcelona Open

Top seed Rafael Nadal remains on course for a 12th Barcelona Open crown after he defeated Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff 7-5, 7-5 in their quarter-final match. Nadal, who has won the last three editions of the tournament, came out on top in his first-ever meeting with Struff following breaks in the 12th game of each set. Struff did recover from an early setback in the opener but Nadal always remained one step ahead and, despite the close scoreline, sealed his passage in straight sets. The 17-time Grand Slam singles champion has reached his 12th semi-final at the tournament, and he has not lost any of his last 11 appearances at the last four stage in Barcelona. Nadal will play third seed Dominic Thiem in the semi-finals, in what is a repeat of the 2017 final which the Spaniard won in straight sets.