LOS ANGELE, Feb 29: Rafael Nadal used a steady stream of blistering forehand winners and a heavy dose of precision serves to book his spot in the ATP Mexico Open final with a convincing 6-3, 6-2 win over Grigor Dimitrov.
The two-time tournament champion will be the favourite to claim his third Acapulco title when he faces unseeded Taylor Fritz in Saturday�s final.
It has been 15 years since world No. 2 Nadal won for the first time here. He also won in 2013 and improved to 18-2 at this event overall.
�I�m very happy. A great victory against one of the best players in the world and a good friend,� Nadal said after his one-sided victory on Friday night.
�I think I�ve increased my level during the match, so it�s positive for me.� The top seed clinched the victory on his first match point. He fell behind 0-30 in the final game but rallied to win the next four points.
On match point, seventh seed Dimitrov hit a backhand that clipped the top of the net and bounced in. But it hung in the air just long enough for Nadal to race forward and blast a cross-court forehand that the Bulgarian had no chance on.
Nadal continued his dominance of Dimitrov, improving to 13-1 lifetime. Nadal has only lost 20 games in his first four matches this week and is yet to lose a set. � AFP
