Nadal remembers 'unforgettable moment' at Barcelona Open 1769450790o7hRnhQg
Nadal stormed to a 6-0 first-set win in their quarter-final showdown.
However, Klizan came out for the second set gunning for revenge and he broke in the first game.
Both players then held their serve and with the score at 5-4 in favour of the Slovakian, it looked as though Nadal would lose his first set on clay in almost 12 months.
But the world No1 showed exactly why he he holds that title as he defended three set points before breaking when it mattered the most.
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I started well in the first set, then very bad in the beginning of the second set
With the score at 5-5, Nadal then grabbed control of the tie to wrap up the win in straight sets.
After the match Nadal admitted that he never knew if he would actually be able to break the world No 140.
“I started well in the first set, then very bad in the beginning of the second set,“ Nadal said.
“The first game was horrible.
“I had options to return the break, but Klizan played well and it was difficult to move him on the track.
“I was uncomfortable but luckily I was able to do it the break back.
"It was important not to fail, in the end it has fallen on my side, and I am happy.”
Nadal also revealed that he had to demand more to dig himself out of the second-set hole.
"I asked myself to play long and make fewer mistakes,” he added.
“Klizan is an aggressive player and at the beginning he made important mistakes.”