2021 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell Semi-Final – Rafael Nadal vs Pablo Carreno Busta Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
Where is Rafael Nadal vs Pablo Carreno Busta taking place? Real Club de Tenis Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
When is Rafael Nadal vs Pablo Carreno Busta on and what time does it start? Saturday 24th April, 2021 – not before 15:00 (UK)
What surface is Rafael Nadal vs Pablo Carreno Busta being played on? Clay (outdoor)
Where can I get tickets for Rafael Nadal vs Pablo Carreno Busta? No tickets are available as this event is sold out
What channel is Rafael Nadal vs Pablo Carreno Busta on? This match will not be televised live in the UK
Where can I stream Rafael Nadal vs Pablo Carreno Busta? Amazon Prime subscribers can stream the match live via their platform. Subscribers of Tennis TV can also stream the match live
THE PREDICTION
World number three Rafael Nadal can move back up to second place in the ATP rankings with a title here in Barcelona and he got one stage closer on Friday with an assured straight-set victory over Cameron Norrie. The Spaniard was tested early on in that quarter-final before growing in ability and if he can continue that trend he should be in better shape for this semi-final meeting with Pablo Carreno Busta. World number 13 Carreno Busta took the first set against Diego Schwartzman in the last match on Friday night before the match really got going and then played out an enthralling tussle with the Argentine before eventually sealing the win in three. 29-year-old PCB will need to recover well from that battle but Nadal will benefit from more rest and less effort and is sure to spend even more time practising his service motion. There is plenty of history between the two Spaniards and Pista Rafa Nadal will be as full as possible with adoring fans of both players, though the vast majority will be for the court’s namesake and could affect PCB’s mentality after his heroics on Friday.
Carreno-Busta has never beaten Nadal in seven previous attempts but has taken three sets off him on hard courts over the years. On clay, though, and despite his occasional stuttering this week, Nadal should take this in two like all four of their matches on this surface.
