Canas cast as party-pooper
Canas cast as party-pooper 
From Scott Williams in Barcelona
Former Australian Captain April 29, 2007
SPAIN’S Rafael Nadal passed another test on clay, beating compatriot David Ferrer 7-5 6-1 to stretch his winning streak to 71 matches in the semi-final of the Barcelona Open today (AEST).
In tonight’s (AEST) final, Nadal will face Argentina’s Guillermo Canas, who 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.
Nadal is bidding to become the first man since Mats Wilander in 1982-1984 to lift three straight titles at the clay event. The No.1 seed now stands 15-1 at the Real club, his only loss coming to compatriot Alex Corretja in the second round four years ago.
Nadal needed to get past a tough opening set, where he twice traded breaks with Ferrer, before finally clinching it after nearly an hour.
The world No.2 more easily found his way in the second, exploding for three breaks of his outclassed rival to keep the momentum alive in a another phenomenal (northern) spring clay campaign.
His victory, in 1hr 35min, tied him on 26 this season with Serbia’s Novak Djokovic to lead the ATP list.
“This was a tough match,” he said. “David is one of the most difficult of the clay players.
“I’m just so happy to have kept my streak alive today. I’m really excited about trying to win a third Barcelona title.
“I know that sometime my streak is going to end, but I’m not thinking about that. I’m just playing through each match.”
Nadal can nourish local pride with another title. Spaniards have captured the local trophy for the last four years and at five of the last six editions.
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.
Canas had a battle with his burly compatriot Calleri, who won the first two of their four career matches in 2001 and 2002.
He went up a break in the opening set then 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 while serving at 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, treated mid-match on his right arm and feet, 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.
Agence France-Presse