Nadal dumped out by Fognini in Barcelona third round

ByReuters

Published 23/04/2015 at 15:43 GMT

Rafa Nadal's bid to get back to top form before the French Open suffered a setback when he crashed to a 6-4 7-6 (6) defeat to 13th-seeded Italian Fabio Fognini in the third round of the Barcelona Open on Thursday.

Eurosport

Image credit: Eurosport

Nadal, the world number four and second seed, produced an erratic performance on the clay in the Catalan capital and the big-hitting Fognini punished the Spaniard's errors to end Nadal's bid for a ninth Barcelona title.

Fognini, who beat Nadal on clay in the semi-finals in Rio de Janeiro in February, his only win in five previous meetings, will play unseeded Spaniard Pablo Andujar in Friday's quarter-finals.

Andujar upset compatriot and fifth seed Feliciano Lopez 6-3 6-4 earlier on Thursday.

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Nadal, whose 2014 season was wrecked by illness and injury, is looking to rediscover his dominance on the red dust before he makes a bid for a record-extending 10th French Open crown starting at the end of next month.

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