Nadal ousts Paire in rain-delayed Barcelona match

REUTERS - Rafa Nadal overcame another hurdle on his way to a possible eighth Barcelona Open title in nine years when he recovered from a poor start to beat Benoit Paire 7-6 6-2 in their delayed third-round match on Friday.

Nadal had been set to meet the 13th-seeded Frenchman on Thursday before rain washed out the day’s play and he is due to play his quarter-final against Japanese sixth seed Kei Nishikori or unseeded Spanish compatriot Albert Ramos later on Friday. However, more rain is forecast in the Catalan capital.

Paire, who turns 24 next month and had never played Nadal before, began aggressively on the clay at the Real Club de Tenis and broke the world number five in the opening game.

Nadal had the usual strapping on his troublesome left knee but showed no sign of the injury that sidelined him for seven months before his return in February, breaking back before taking the tiebreak 7-2.