Nadal comes through testing Norrie encounter to reach quarter-finals of Nordea Open
The Spaniard beat Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-4 in Bastad and will face Argentinian Mariano Navone in the quarter-finals
Rafael Nadal, Bastad Open, 2024 © Zuma / Panoramic
Rafael Nadal continued his preparations for the Paris Olympics with an encouraging win over Cameron Norrie, beating the Briton 6-4, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals of the Nordea Open.
Having survived a match point to progress in his doubles match alongside Casper Ruud yesterday, the Spaniard again looked sharp on the clay courts of Bastad as his comeback after missing Wimbledon gathered momentum with a testing victory over the world No 42.
A close first set was decided by a single break for Nadal as his ferocious forehand began to purr towards the end of the opening stanza.
Nadal was moving exceptionally well and looked in fine form throughout the contest, but a tenacious Norrie ensured the 22-time Grand Slam champion was given the test he would have expected.
Breaking early in the second, it looked as though the Briton may have been taking the match the distance when leading 4-1 after a fall from the Spaniard near the start of the set required a brief medical time-out.
But Nadal, in typical fashion, elevated his game considerably to avoid the need for a decider, winning the final five games in a row with an excellent display of classic, topspin-heavy, big-hitting tennis.
“Great feelings. It’s been a while without playing on tour since Roland Garros,” Nadal said in his on-court interview following the win.
“To have the chance to compete well against a great player like Cameron, these are great feelings. I played for moments good tennis. For moments I needed to play more aggressive. That’s part of the journey today.
“I haven’t been competing very often. Matches and victories like today help to be in rhythm the whole match and put the pressure on the opponent during the whole match. That’s something I need to improve today. Because I haven’t played enough.”
While Nadal will need more match time to convince himself he is ready for Paris, successive victories in Bastad, to go along with his two victories in the doubles with Ruud, are the perfect start to his preparation for the Olympic Games at the end of this month, which will be taking place on the Spaniard’s beloved clay courts of Roland-Garros.
Having not played since a high-profile first-round exit at the French Open last month, Nadal’s decision to remain practising on one surface and miss Wimbledon in the process appears to have paid dividends as he gears up for one of the biggest events of the year.
Nadal, champion at the Nordea Open in 2005 when he last played the event, will face Argentinian Mariano Navone, the fourth seed, in the quarter-finals.
He has now positioned himself as a strong favourite to take his first title in over two years, an achievement that would be the optimal send-off to the Olympic Games.
