Rafael Nadal into Barcelona Open final

Seven-time winner Rafael Nadal beat Milos Raonic 6-4, 6-0 last night to reach the final of the Barcelona Open.

After the match was delayed for rain, Nadal overcame an early break and dominated the rest of the way, with Raonic’s big serve proving no match for his all-round game.

The fifth-ranked Spaniard will play countryman Nicolas Almagro in today’s final after he beat Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-2, 6-1 to reach his second clay-court final of the year.

Nadal has won 38 straight matches on the Real Club de Tenis’s outdoor red clay and has reached six straight finals – winning three – since returning from a seven-month injury lay-off.

His last loss in Barcelona came ten years ago.

n Defending champion Maria Sharapova came from behind in the third set to beat Angelique Kerber 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 and earn a spot in today’s Porsche Grand Prix final in Stuttgart.

The top-seeded Russian will play either second-seeded Li Na or qualifier Bethani Mattek-Sands for the title in the indoor clay-court tournament.