Moya, Nadal conspire to blank Yanks

“I turned up for the most important date of my life in front of so many people so at the start I was a little nervous,” Moya smiled. “But I played safely, within myself, not taking too many risks. I knew he is a player who, if things are going well for him, can be very strong.”

Olympic silver medallist Fish had won two of his three previous matches against Moya but those victories came on hard courts.

On Seville’s slow, red, power-blunting clay and against a backdrop of red and yellow flags and banners, Moya tied his opponent up in knots. Running him from side to side, the Spaniard put on a claycourt masterclass.

Punching winners into the corners off both sides, Moya clinched the opening set on his first set point after 40 minutes play. The 1998 French Open champion blasted through Fish’s defences in the second set and the third proved little more than a formality. (Reuters)