Kei Nishikori wins Barcelona Open

Kei Nishikori won the Barcelona Open by beating Santiago Giraldo 6-2 6-2 to claim his second title of the year this afternoon.

© Getty Images

The Japanese, who won the National Indoor Championships in the United States in February, followed up that triumph in Spain today by winning his maiden title on clay.

Nishikori, 24, cruised into a first-set lead by inflicting three breaks of serve on his Colombian counterpart.

The fourth seed then broke the unseeded Giraldo twice in the opening five games to take a commanding 4-1 lead, before ultimately downing the 26-year-old to become the first non-Spaniard to win the title since 1996.