Nadal stunned by compatriot; Garcia-Lopez, Nieminen to duel for Bangkok title

02 October 2010

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez recorded the biggest win of his career, beating top-ranked Rafael Nadal in a 2-6, 7-6(3) 6-3 thriller in the semi-finals on Saturday

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez recorded the biggest win of his career, beating top-ranked Rafael Nadal in a 2-6, 7-6(3) 6-3 thriller in the semi-finals of the 2010 PTT Thailand Open on Saturday.

The Spaniard world #53 saved an incredible 24 of 26 break points en route to the victory.

“During all the match I had so many (break points). Very unlucky at the same time,” said Nadal in the post-match press conference.

“I was playing very well and had a potential the tournament. But then that’s the game. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.”

“He (Garcia-Lopez) played very well and I wish him best in the final tomorrow.”

In the final Garcia-Lopez will square off with Finland’s world #60 Jarkko Nieminen, who eased past 2007 runner-up Benjamin Becker of Germany 6-3 6-2 in the other semi-final match, in just 65 minutes.

Sunday’s final in Bangkok will be the Finn’s tenth career ATP World Tour final and the first since 2009 in Sydney, while it will be the third career final for the Spaniard. It will also be the first final in the tournament’s history in which two unseeded players are competing.

Both players are attempting to capture their second ATP World Tour title. Nieminen’s lone title came in Auckland in 2006, while Garcia-Lopez captured his in Kitzbuehel last year.
Nieminen won the only meeting against Garcia-Lopez in Beijing in 2004, beating the Spaniard in straight sets 7-5, 6-4.

In doubles, Christopher Kas of Germany and Viktor Troicki of Serbia will take on fourth-seeded pair Jonathan Erlich of Israel and Jurgen Melzer of Austria in the championship, to be played as the first match on Sunday.