(1) Nadal looking at the wrist-addled (14) Nishikori 3rd rd. then (6) Djokovic then (4) Goffin…

“I’m really happy I’m able to defend the title,” Nishikori said. “I think the second set was extremely tough and I don’t really know how I won it to be honest. Pablo was very aggressive, he kept moving the ball and made me run up and down all the time. I also tried to be aggressive and I think that’s why I won the important points, but I’d say he played better than me.”

Kei Nishikoi beat Santiago Giraldo in last year’s final…Returning former champs in the final are Nishikori (2014), Nadal (2013-11,’09-05), Verdasco (2010) and Robredo (2004).

“I’ve always dreamed of winning the title here,” Verdasco said of his home-country event. “I grew up watching this tournament on television. It’s an incredible feeling, it’s hard to put it into words. In the past two weeks, with a final in Monte Carlo and the title here in Barcelona, I’ve won 1,000 points. This is maybe the best moment of my career right now.”

Seeds: Rafael Nadal, Robin Soderling, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Fernando Gonzalez, Fernando Verdasco, Tomas Berdych, Juan Carlos Ferrero, David Ferrer, Tommy Robredo, Juan Monaco, Jurgen Melzer, Lleyton Hewitt, Thomaz Bellucci, Al Montanes, Nicolas Almagro, Feliciano Lopez

Stosur improved to 2-5 in career finals, and became the first Aussie to win the Family Circle Cup title. Cracking 36 winners in the final, Stosur kept it to under an hour, and recorded her fifth win in a row over the Russian. Zvonareva was also the 2008 runner-up to Serena Williams, and falls to 10-12 in career finals.

While Nadal eased into the final against a Russian opponent who couldn’t consistently hurt him, Ferrer found himself on the punishing end of the forehand of the Chilean Gonzalez. As Gonzalez’s power and precision fell off, Ferrer broke serve twice in the second set and raced to a 5-2 lead in the third before holding off the Chilean in the tiebreak in the end.

“It’s a secret,” said Davydenko of his game plan against the Spaniard. “I’m not going to tell the press, because tomorrow you’ll print it and then Rafa will read it and know all the secrets.”

Unfortunately the meeting is not to be, as after Nalbandian won his match on Thursday, he withdrew from the event citing an injured hip.

Probably the two most important guys there (the wire writers) barely look up from their desks, let alone go out to watch tennis. I asked one of them when the last time he had seen a match. He thought he might have seen a few minutes of one in Miami but not one since. When asked “why do you need to even attend the events if you don’t watch any of the tennis?” Answer: “For the quotes.”

So, I keep thinking I am forgetting something. Oh yeah, Rafael Nadal played today as well. That was where I was going with the opening heat comment and I fear I have gotten off track. Big news of the day, Nadal won. Considering he has won 101 of his last 102 matches on clay, I supposed that shouldn’t be too much of a shocker. Here is my big prediction for tomorrow: Nadal has a 99% chance of a victory. I’ll even go out on a limb to say the same is true for Sunday. If I’m wrong I’ll be the first one to stuff my high-heeled foot back in my mouth.