Categories: ATPBastadTop Story

Nadal needs four hours to survive in Bastad

Rafael Nadal got an unexpected fitness check as the player who has been hurt for much of the past two seasons struggled into the semi-finals of the ATP Bastad Open.

The 38-year-old who had once been expected to retire sometime late in this season, has rewritten that script this week after skipping Wimbledon so as not to compromise his clay game with the Paris Olympics kicking off in a week.

Nadal concluded his Swedish quarter-final marathon 6-7 (2), 7-5, 7-5 over 36th-ranked Argentine Mariano Navone to reach his first semi since Wimbledon, 2022, when he handed in an injury walkover to Nick Kyrgios.   

The Spaniard with 22 Grand Slam titles now ranked 261 almost blew a 5-2 lead in the deciding set before rallying to hang on for victory.

“I lost for some moments my concentration, but I was able to hold up physically until the end,” he said after a win in which each set lasted for more than an hour.

“That is so important for me. Let’s see how I am tomorrow, but today I am alive and in the semi-finals, so that’s very important.”

Nadal trailed 2-0 in the third set, but won the next five games with the score eventually standing five games apiece after Navone rallied to come back from  double-break down.

The Spanish veteran secured his 10th break of the South American’s serve for 6-5 and finished off a game later for his 10th win of this injury-plagued season.

The winner said each set featured “changing dynamics.”

“For moments, he was in control. For moments, I was in control. But at the end, no one was in control! 

“I had a good chance in the second with 3-0. Then I was very close to losing the match in the second set.

“In the third (i led) 5-2, but he’s a great fighter and he played a great match. I wish him all the very best for the rest of the season.”

Nadal, who won the Bastad title nearly two decades ago at the start of his career, will work to recover for Saturday’s semi against Croat qualifier Duje Ajdukovic, who defeated Thiago Monteiro 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

Main photo:- Rafa Nadal winning in three sets today in Bastad – by Nordea Open

Bill Scott

Recent Posts

Halep seething over Swiatek wrist-slap doping penalty

Doping sanction victim Simona Halep has gone online to protest her own treatment by anti-doping…

3 weeks ago

Nadal goes down in final match

Rafael Nadal lined up for what was to be the final match of his career…

1 month ago

Sinner flattens de Minaur in runaway home start

Jannik Sinner took charge in front of his home crowd on Sunday, crushing ATP Finals…

1 month ago

Madcap Medvedev suffers temperamental Turin Finals loss

Daniil Medvedev went into meltdown mode on Sunday during a highly charged 6-4, 6-3 loss, with opponent…

1 month ago

Team Sinner considering skipping Monte Carlo

Jannik Sinner could well be missing from the opening European clay event of next season…

1 month ago

Davis Cup Final to mark Nadal goodbye to tennis

Rafael Nadal will bring down the curtain on his career next month as he plays his…

2 months ago