Top-seeded Kei Nishikori began the defense of his Barcelona Open title with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Teymuraz Gabashvili. Nicolás Almagro also advanced to the second round, where he will face the eight-time winner Rafael Nadal, after Almagro’s opponent, Paolo Lorenzi, retired 10 minutes into the match with Almagro leading, 3-0. Last year, Almagro stunned Nadal in the quarterfinals, ending Nadal’s run of 41 straight wins at the tournament.
u25a0 Eighth-seeded Carla Suárez Navarro needed three sets to overcome the qualifier Evgeniya Rodina, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-4, in the first round of the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany.