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playRafael Nadal on marathon quarterfinal win: Let's see how I am tomorrow
(1:04)Rafael Nadal reacts to winning a four-hour epic with Mariano Navone in the Nordea Open quarterfinals
BASTAD, Sweden -- <a href="https://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/players/profile?playerId=261">Rafael Nadal</a> advanced to his first semifinal in two years after a four-hour quarterfinal at the Nordea Open on Friday
Nadal fought past 36th-ranked <a href="https://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/players/profile?playerId=9992">Mariano Navone</a> of Argentina 6-7 (2)
but I was able to hold physically until the end," Nadal said in an on-court interview
but today I am alive and in the semifinals."
The 38-year-old Nadal is playing his first tournament since losing in the French Open first round
to prepare for the Paris Olympics on clay at Roland Garros
In his first semifinal since 2022 Wimbledon, Nadal will face Croatian qualifier <a href="https://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/players/profile?playerId=7887">Duje Ajdukovic</a> on Saturday.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Rafael Nadal of Spain speaks during a press conference after his men’s singles match against Leo Borg of Sweden, at the Nordea Open Tennis tournament in Bastad, Sweden, Tuesday July 16, 2024. (Adam Ihse/TT News Agency via AP)
Leo Borg of Sweden speaks during a press conference after his men’s singles match against Rafael Nadal of Spain, at the Nordea Open Tennis tournament in Bastad, Sweden, Tuesday July 16, 2024. (Adam Ihse/TT News Agency via AP)
Rafael Nadal of Spain, left, greets Leo Borg of Sweden after winning their men’s singles match at the Nordea Open Tennis tournament in Bastad, Sweden, Tuesday July 16, 2024. (Adam Ihse/TT News Agency via AP)
Leo Borg of Sweden looks on during his men’s singles match against Rafael Nadal of Spain, at the Nordea Open Tennis tournament in Bastad, Sweden, Tuesday July 16, 2024. (Adam Ihse/TT News Agency via AP)
Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a backhand during his men’s singles match against Leo Borg of Sweden, at the Nordea Open Tennis tournament in Bastad, Sweden, Tuesday July 16, 2024. (Adam Ihse/TT News Agency via AP)
Leo Borg of Sweden plays a shot during his men’s singles match against Rafael Nadal of Spain, at the Nordea Open Tennis tournament in Bastad, Sweden, Tuesday July 16, 2024. (Adam Ihse/TT News Agency via AP)
BASTAD, Sweden (AP) — Rafael Nadal returned to singles action with a 6-3, 6-4 victory on clay over Leo Borg, the 21-year-old son of Swedish great Bjorn Borg, in the first round of the Nordea Open in Bastad on Tuesday.
“For me it has been a huge honor to play against the son of one of the biggest legends in the history of our sport,” Nadal said about his 21-year-old opponent. “I think he played quite well, he has a future in front so I wish him all the very best.”
Nadal won the singles title in southern Sweden as a 19-year-old in 2005 and this week is his first time back since then as he prepares for the Olympic tournament on clay at Roland Garros in Paris. 
Nadal will next face British No. 2 Cameron Norrie.
Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Himani Sarkar
Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford
Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; editing by Clare Fallon
After winning his first-round doubles match with Casper Ruud
the Spaniard indulged in a little buddy-buddy banter with the Norwegian
Ruud said that Rafa is “getting old” and may not be able to handle rain delays the way he once did
after being asked about Spain’s victory in the Euros
smiled and told Ruud he “hoped to see Norway in the important competitions” in the future.Ruud and Nadal
Nadal survived a three-hour-and-59 minute epic against Mariano Navone
The quarterfinal see-sawed back and forth half-a-dozen times
Rafa was broken while serving for the match
Nadal found some levity through his exhaustion.“For moments
no one was in control,” he said with a laugh.That was an accurate assessment
but it didn’t do justice to the monumental effort put in by both guys.DID YOU KNOW❓At 3:59
🇪🇸 Rafael Nadal&#39;s 6-7 7-5 7-5 victory over Mariano Navone in the quarterfinals of Bastad today was the SECOND-LONGEST BEST-OF-THREE-SETS MATCH OF HIS CAREER
a 3-6 7-6 7-6 victory over Djokovic—in 4:03—in Madrid in 2009:
The 38-year-old Spaniard lost the first set and was a break down in the second, but came back to beat the Croatian 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to set up a meeting with Nuno Borges in Sunday’s final.
After needing four hours to beat the 36th-ranked Mariano Navone in Friday’s quarter-final, Nadal had a slow start against Ajdukovic and could easily have slipped to a quick defeat before rallying in second set.
Read more</a>“My opponent had one of the best backhands that I played against,” Nadal said
but I found a way to survive and be through to that final after a long time without being in a final
So that’s great news and I’m very happy with that.”
Nadal has not faced Borges previously but will be pleased with the improvement in his game after a more consistent performance against Ajdukovic
where the Spaniard converted all six of his break points
“Always it is a great feeling to be back in a final,” said Nadal
something I was not able to make happen since two years ago
because I had a very important hip surgery almost one year ago
I am fighting during the whole tournament to be where I am today
and let’s see if I am able to play a little bit better tomorrow.”
Nadal is playing at the clay-court tournament in Sweden for the first time since he won the title as a 19-year-old in 2005
The ATP Tour 250 event will be his final competitive outing before the Olympics at Roland Garros – a venue where he has won a record 14 French Open titles
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Having dealt with hip and abdominal injuries since winning the 2022 French Open
Nadal said he did not want to switch surfaces to grass from clay and take any risks before the Olympics
He has a chance to win his second gold medal in both singles and doubles
where he will play alongside Carlos Alcaraz
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We detail the rivals that Nadal will have to overcome if he wants to win the title at ATP Bastad 2024
Rafael Nadal returns to competition full of desire to prove to himself and others that he can continue to aim for the top
The Balearic tennis player will face tough opponents in the ATP 250 Bastad 2024
a tournament that will be crucial to acquire the necessary competitive rhythm and confidence for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games
Maximum anticipation and overwhelming excitement. That is what surrounds the competitive return of <a href="https://preprod.puntodebreak.com/en/tenis/rafael-nadal" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rafael Nadal</a> in the <a href="https://nordeaopen.se/this-is-bastad/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ATP 250 Bastad 2024</a>
Rarely has there been such a notable incentive for tennis enthusiasts in the week following a Grand Slam than witnessing one of the greatest legends in history testing himself and laying the groundwork for his return to top-level competition
Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev are the prominent names in the Swedish tournament
but it is worth reviewing in detail what the Spanish player's path might be
Leading the top half of the draw is Andrey Rublev
who will debut in the second round against the winner of a qualifying match and Thiago Tirante
his potential opponent would be Roman Safiullin
although the Russian will face a tough challenge against Carballés in the first round
whose main opponent in his quadrant is Nuno Borges
In the bottom half of the draw is where Nadal's name appears
provided that the British player manages to defeat Kovalik
the survivor of that section could potentially face Mariano Navone
who is aiming to rediscover his best form on clay
The favorite in this half of the draw is Casper Ruud
who awaits Coria or Monteiro in the second round
and could potentially face Pavel Kotov in the quarterfinals
although the Russian will need to bring his best level to overcome Garín right from the start
There are high expectations about what Rafael Nadal can achieve in this tournament
and the Balearic player has been blessed with a manageable draw for his interests
Starting his journey against Leo Borg is good news
considering he could have faced any of the favorites
Cameron Norrie and Mariano Navone are opponents against whom a good version of Rafa should be sufficient to have winning chances
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, <a href="https://www.puntodebreak.com/2024/07/13/atp-bastad-2024-analisis-cuadro-nadal-camino-asequible" rel="nofollow">ATP Bastad 2024. Análisis del cuadro: Nadal, con un camino asequible</a>
Whether it’s his arrival or time on the practice court, content highlighting the 22-time major winner's appearance at the Nordea Open is in full swing.Wife Mery and son Rafa Jr. are in town, too, as Nadal prepares to play his first tournament since Roland Garros. At the French Open, the Spaniard was edged out by eventual finalist Alexander Zverev in a blockbuster first-round match.Wednesday photo dump📸 Liljasinstagram <a href=https://t.co/1AAOc5hm1U>pic.twitter.com/1AAOc5hm1U</a>