Rafael Nadal Makes a Stunning Comeback in Bastad, Sets Sights on Olympics 2024
Rafael Nadal defeated Mariano Navone in a match that lasted almost four hours, demonstrating his resiliency and grit at the 2024 Nordea Open.
With a final score of 6-7 (2), 7-5, 7-5, the former world No. 1 triumphed, making his semifinal debut since Wimbledon 2022.
The former world No. 1 is getting ready for what is probably going to be his final Olympic appearance in Paris. He advanced to his first semifinal at the Nordea Open since 2022 Wimbledon.
“It was definitely very close, long, and tiring,” Nadal grinned on the court following the match. Every set had a great deal of shifting dynamics. There were times when I was in charge and times when he was. However, nobody was in charge in the end! That is the actuality. In the second, I had a great opportunity and came dangerously close to losing the match. I had a 5-2 lead in the third, but he’s a fantastic fighter and the match was excellent. For the remainder of the season, I send him my best wishes.”
In Båstad, the former world number one has had a busy and productive week as he gets ready for what is probably going to be his last appearance at the Olympic Summer Games in Paris. In three hours and fifty-eight minutes on Center Court, Rafael Nadal secured his best ATP result since 2022 Wimbledon. He stormed back from a 2-0, 40-0 deficit in the third set and withstood a late charge from the No. 4 seed to reach the semifinals in both the singles and doubles competitions with Casper Ruud.
Regarding his second-longest win in the best-of-three format, Rafael Nadal commented, “For a few moments I lost the concentration.” “It was crucial for me that I was able to maintain my physical grip until the very end. I’m alive and in the semifinals today; we’ll see how I feel tomorrow.”
The 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal was on the verge of one of his best performances of the year when he defeated Cameron Norrie, ranked No. 5, in straight sets to advance to just his second ATP quarterfinal of the year and his first since the Brisbane International in January.
Despite suffering from ailments that kept him out of the Australian Open and Sunshine Swing, Rafael Nadal made a comeback to the game in Barcelona. He advanced to the fourth round of the Mutua Madrid Open, but lost the first round of Roland Garros to eventual winner Alexander Zverev in a sad match.
Choosing to train on clay, the surface used for the Olympics, rather than competing in the Wimbledon Championships that followed, Rafael Nadal triumphantly returned to Bastad for the first time in 19 years, having won the event as a teenager.
Despite being 38 years old, the Spaniard managed to maintain a balance between singles and doubles with Ruud. In the latter’s quarterfinal, he even saved a match point, securing a semifinal matchup with No. 3 seeds Rafael Matos and Orlando Luz on Saturday.
Navone, a 23-year-old who is having a career-best season and peaked at No. 29 in the ATP rankings last month, was the opponent he had to overcome first. Following an incredible five ATP Challenger victories in 2023, Navone has successfully advanced to the top of the game, reaching an ATP 500 final in February at the Rio Open and making significant main-draw debuts at Wimbledon and Roland Garros. After overcoming Sumit Nagal rather quickly, the No. 4 seed was able to schedule a first encounter with the King of Clay.
Also Read: Rafael Nadal’s 6-3, 6-4 Victory Over Leo Borg at Bastad, Sets Up Clash with Cameron Norrie
Even with Nadal’s impressive background, Navone got off to a more decisive start, winning the first set 4-1 after overcoming an early exchange of breaks. Nadal bounced back, taking the next six games to win five out of six and earning two set points on the Argentine’s serve. Navone put himself one set away from his greatest career victory as he saved both and stormed through the subsequent tiebreak.
More erratic swings of momentum occurred in the second set, as Nadal built a double-break lead of his own before Navone tied the match at three games apiece. Nadal bravely served to save face and turned the tables on Navone, forcing a forehand error that gave him a vital break in the eleventh game. Navone looked like he was about to lose.
Nadal produced one of his finest shots of the match as the two hours and thirty minutes passed, forcing a decider by converting a set point with a forceful overhead stroke.
In an epic third set, Navone stormed to a 2-0, 40-0 lead, but Nadal battled back to win the next three games and eventually earn a break after a fourth-deuce game. As he approached his fourth game in a row, Nadal sent Navone crashing to the clay, consolidating as the Argentine missed wide off the forehand side.
Nadal, in complete control, overcame an overhead mistake on a break point to convert four more points, taking the match to a winner. From then on, Navone came storming back, breaking Nadal twice as he served to end the match and tying the score at five games all with a blistering forehand winner that enthralled the spectators.
However, as the match approached the four-hour mark, Nadal’s forehand let Navone down, and he recovered to lead by a break with a third opportunity to serve out the title. For Rafael Nadal, the third time around proved to be lucky as he held onto his love and secured a meeting with Croatian qualifier Duje Ajdukovic in the final four.
