Almagro shocks Nadal on clay in Barcelona Open

Top-ranked Rafael Nadal’s clay-court struggles worsened Friday as his 41-match winning streak at the Barcelona Open ended with a three-set loss to Nicolas Almagro in the quarterfinals. Nadal was looking for his ninth title in Barcelona but lost 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4, a week after going out in the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters at the same stage. [caption id=“attachment_1497785” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File picture of Nicolas Almagro. AFP[/caption] Almagro converted his second match point, smashing a forehand down the line for his first career victory over his fellow Spaniard on the 11th try. Nadal hadn’t lost at the tournament since his debut as a 15-year-old in 2003. Almagro will play either Philipp Kohlschreiber or Santiago Giraldo in the semifinals. AP