Colombian tennis player Santiago Giraldo has been defeated by world no.1 Rafael Nadal in straight sets in the third round of the Barcelona Open, El Espectador reported Thursday.
The Andean nation’s highest-ranked player lasted one hour and 22 minutes trading shots with the imperious Spaniard in what would ultimately be a comfortable 6-3 6-1 win for the Majorcan, who has not lost on a clay court since 2009.
Giraldo initially put up some stubborn resistance after being broken in the fifth game only to break back immediately and level the first set at 3-3.
That resistance proved to be short-lived, however, as Nadal then rattled off six consecutive games to lead 6-3 3-0, offering no hope of a comeback to the Colombian as he closed out the match.
Nadal was complimentary about his eliminated opponent, stating that “Beating Giraldo 6-3 6-1 is good news because he can hit winners from anywhere on the court,” according to the BBC.
Nadal now moves on to face Frenchman Gael Monfils in the quarter finals.