Rafael Nadal endures a marathon to return to a SF two years later | ATP Tour

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Nadal endures a marathon to return to a SF two years later

He beat Mariano Navone in the quarter-finals of Bastad in more than 3 and a half hours

July 19, 2024

This is not the first time that Rafael Nadal has had three consecutive victories in the same tournament, but it is his first time in the semi-finals of an ATP Tour tournament in 2024. The Spaniard did so this Friday at the Nordea Open in Bastad, after overcoming a real battle.

In the second shift on Centre Court at the ATP 250, he endured four hours of play against Mariano Navone to overcome his quarter-final match by 6-7(2), 7-5, 7-5 and present himself among the best four after doing so at Wimbledon two years ago.

“There were some moments when I lost concentration, but I managed to stay physically until the end,” Nadal said in the courtside interview. “This is very important for me. We will see how I am tomorrow, but today I am alive and in the semi-finals, so it is very important.”

The former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings showed off all the accolades he has earned throughout his career. He clung to his competitive genes to prevent the No. 4 seed from ending his run in Bastad.

But Nadal, who grew stronger throughout the match, eventually tipped the balance in his favour. He was unable to do so in the first set, despite recovering from a 1-4 deficit and having two set points at 6-5 in his favour. In the tie-break, the Argentine was more decisive.

“There were a lot of dynamic changes in each set,” Nadal said of the match. “At times, he was in control. At times, I was. But in the end, neither of us had control! That’s the truth and I had the chance to change it in the second set at 3-0. Then I was very close to losing the match in the second.”

“In the third I was ahead again 5-2, but he is a great fighter and played a great match. I wish him all the best for the rest of the season,” he summed up.

From then on, the alternatives followed one another. Although the man from Manacor started the second set 3-0, Navone responded with three consecutive games. Everything seemed to indicate that the tie-break would once again be decisive, but Nadal signed an important break in the eleventh game and then closed it out with his serve.

By then, the clock had already exceeded two and a half hours, and there was still one set left. The Argentinean was ahead 2-0 and 40/0, ​​at which point the Spaniard responded in the old-fashioned way.

He accepted the marathon challenge and linked five games in a row (5-2) and despite Navone’s last effort – who tied the score at 5-5 – he managed to keep his chances of winning the 93rd title of his career on the Swedish clay intact, a stage where he was already crowned champion on his last visit 19 years ago.

The Manacor native, who has a wild card in singles and doubles (he will play the semi-finals this Saturday alongside Casper Ruud), will try to continue making strides on his own against Duje Ajdukovic, who beat Thiago Monteiro 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 in two hours and nine minutes.

Did you know…?

Rafael Nadal reached an ATP Tour final for the last time at Roland Garros 2022. That was also the most recent title on his list of achievements.