BARCELONA (Spain): Rafael Nadal beat compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta to reach his 12th Barcelona final on Saturday.
The Spaniard will face Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas, who stunned him from two sets down in this year’s Australian Open.
Top seed Nadal, an 11-time champion in Barcelona, eased to a 6-3, 6-2 win over world number 13 Carreno Busta in 90 minutes.
It was Nadal’s eighth win in eight meetings against his 29-year-old Davis Cup teammate and his 65th in Barcelona.
“Tomorrow will be a very tough one. Stefanos is playing probably better than ever,” said Nadal, who broke serve four times and hit 13 forehand winners in the semi-final.
“Not one set lost in Monte Carlo and here, so it will be the toughest opponent possible. I hope to be ready. It is going to be a tough one, but I need to be ready to increase my level and let’s see.”
He added: “I’m very happy to be back in a final here at an historic event, a home event, an important one for me.”
Nadal defeated Tsitsipas in the 2018 Barcelona final for the loss of just three games.
Tsitsipas, winner of his first Masters 1000 event in Monte Carlo last week, booked his place in a second successive final when he beat Italian teenager Jannik Sinner 6-3, 6-3 in his semi-final on Saturday.
