Guillermo Canas took another step down the road to rehabilitation following a drugs ban by defeating Agustin Calleri 7-6 (7/1), 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 Saturday to reach the final of the Barcelona Open. The 12th seeded Argentine will on Sunday face the winner of an all-Spanish battle between top seed Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer.
Canas has been ramping up his game since he returned to the courts in September after serving a ban for a positive test for a diuretic. He won a clay title in February in Brazil and reached the final of the Miami Masters. Last month, the 29-year-old stunned Roger Federer twice on North American hardcourt.
Nadal brings a 70-match clay win streak to the semi-final against an opponent whom he's beaten on three of four occasions. The double Roland Garros winner from Mallorca is hoping to collect a Barcelona trophy hat-trick after winning the last two editions at the Real club. Canas had a battle with his burly compatriot Calleri, who won the first two of their four career matches in 2001 and 2002.
Canas went up a break in the opening set but lost it in the ninth game. But as the set went into a tiebreak, the 12th seed dominated with a 7-1 sweep in the decider. Canas struggled with nerves as he tried to close out a straight-sets victory a set later while serving for victory leading 5-4.
He saved a match point in the next game but then contributed to his own misfortune, double-faulting on his second match-winning opportunity. The inevitable tiebreak went to Calleri after more than two hours on court. Canas re-grouped in the third, racing to a 3-0 lead before Calleri could react. Canas dropped serve but got it back for a 4-2 margin on the way to victory in a shade under three hours.
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