Bastad
Nadal shakes off stiff start, rallies past Ajdukovic to Bastad final
Spaniard into first tour-level championship match since 2022 Roland Garros
July 20, 2024
Nordea Open/Johan Lilja
Rafael Nadal in action against Duje Ajdukovic on Saturday at the Nordea Open.
By ATP Staff
For the first time in more than two years, Rafael Nadal has that final feeling.
The Spaniard rallied from a set and a break down to overhaul Duje Ajdukovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday afternoon at the Nordea Open and reach his first tour-level championship match since 2022 Roland Garros.
Having overcome Mariano Navone in a four-hour marathon on Friday in Bastad, Nadal needed time to loosen up in his maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash against Croatian qualifier Ajdukovic. Yet he raised his level in time to recover after dropping serve in the opening game of the second set, going on to break his opponent’s serve five times across the second and third sets en route to a two-hour, 13-minute semi-final triumph.
“I think it was a tough match. My opponent had one of the best backhands that I played against,” said Nadal in his on-court interview. “He came here with a lot of confidence. I think I was trying to push him back. It was very, very difficult, honestly, 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.”
Simply iconic ✨@RafaelNadal serving up what the fans want to see@NordeaOpen | #NordeaOpen pic.twitter.com/L5yUi5boO7
— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 20, 2024
Just as he had against Navone, Nadal sealed victory despite letting slip a double-break lead in the deciding set. After Ajdukovic rallied from 0-3 to 3-3, the former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings immediately broke through on return again before holding firm behind his serve to clinch the win.
Although he made a relatively slow start to Saturday’s match, Nadal delivered a more consistent performance overall than he had against Navone. He was particularly clinical on return, and converted all six break points he earned against Ajdukovic, according to Infosys ATP Stats.
Now 11-8 for the season, Nadal will take on seventh seed Nuno Borges or Thiago Agustin Tirante in Sunday’s final in Sweden. The 38-year-old is on a nine-match winning streak in Bastad, where he lifted the trophy on his previous appearance in 2005.
More to follow…