Rafael Nadal is playing his sixth ATP tournament of the season in Bastad. The 2005 champion remained on the title course following a massive 6-7, 7-5, 7-5 victory over world no. 36 Mariano Navone. Rafa faced his most challenging test since returning this January, staying on the court for four hours and surviving.
Despite emerging victorious, Nadal is unsure about tomorrow’s semi-final duel against Duje Ajdukovic, waiting to see how his body will react in the morning. The veteran passed a massive obstacle, playing one of his most extended best-of-three duels in a career and displaying his incredible fighting spirit.
Rafa admitted it would have been tough to recover after such a marathon even in his younger years. The Spaniard will know more when he wakes up, hoping to fight for a place in the final but having to think about his physical shape ahead of the Olympic Games in Paris.
Rafa played well against Leo Borg and Cameron Norrie, reaching his second quarter-final of the season and facing the young Argentine. Two rivals pushed each other to the limits in a thriller, and the 38-year-old prevailed in the pivotal moments of sets two and three en route to his best result since Wimbledon 2022!
Rafa claimed ten points more than his rival, although he could have ended up losing. A clay-court marathon is fertile ground for break points, and we witnessed 36 return chances in this one! Nadal played against 15 break points and got broken eight times.
He responded with 21 break opportunities on his tally, seizing ten and overpowering his young opponent in the pivotal moments after the opener. Nadal built a slim advantage in the shortest and most advanced rallies, reducing the number of errors in the closing stages of sets two and three and remaining on the title course.
Rafael Nadal stayed on the court in Bastad for four hours versus Mariano Navone.
Mariano found the rhythm on the return from the opening shots, securing three straight breaks and moving 4-1 in front in the first set.
Rafa pulled one break back in game six and found the rhythm behind the initial shot, preparing a comeback. The 2005 champion denied two set points on the return in game ten and pulled the break back to prolong the action and embrace the first marathon set.
The king of clay gained a boost, holding at love in game 11 and generating two set points on the return a few minutes later. Navone stayed focused and saved them, holding and introducing a tie break. The Argentine imposed his strokes and clinched four mini-breaks, clinching it 7-2 and building the advantage after an hour and 25 minutes.
The Spaniard made a fresh start in the second set, earning back-to-back breaks and opening a 3-0 gap. The younger player erased the deficit, returning to the positive side and following the rival’s pace in the next ones for 5-5 and more drama.
Mariano sprayed a forehand error in the 11th game, losing serve and falling behind. Nadal served for the set at 6-5 and landed a smash winner, wrapping up the set and forcing a decider after two and a half hours! The final set presented break points in nine out of 12 games, with two rivals embracing more drama and excitement after battling for an hour and a half!
Navone saved a break point in the first game and held with a service winner for 1-0. Mariano drew Rafa’s mistake in the second game, securing a break and moving 2-0 in front. The Argentine lost the ground behind the initial shot, getting broken three straight times and falling behind.
Nadal denied the rival’s four game points in the fourth game, pulling the break back after Navone’s backhand error. The veteran denied a break point in the fourth game with a serve & volley combo and closed it with another for 2-2.
Nadal generated five break points in the fifth game, converting the last after Navone’s loose backhand for a 3-2 advantage. Rafa closed the sixth game at 15, moving 4-2 in front and closer to the finish line. Losing ground behind the initial shot, Mariano experienced four break points in the seventh game.
The Argentine sprayed a volley error on the last, experiencing the third straight break and falling 5-2 behind.
Nadal served for the win in game eight and suffered a break at 15, keeping his rival in contention.
Navone produced a fine hold in game nine, further reducing the gap and wishing for another successful return game at 4-5. Nadal served for the triumph for the second time and experienced another setback after Navone’s forehand crosscourt winner, with the Argentine locking the result at 5-5 and getting himself into contention.
The king of clay stayed focused and created two break points in game 11 after the rival’s wild forehand. Mariano played another wayward forehand, losing serve for the tenth time and allowing Rafa to serve for the triumph at 6-5.
Nadal created three match points with a volley winner and prevailed on the first with an unreturned serve, celebrating a massive win and reaching the semi-final. “I will know more when I wake up tomorrow; that’s when I will decide about playing the semi-final.
Let’s see in what shape my body will be; that’s crucial. Even if I were younger, I would have needed extended recovery after such a long match. I do not know how things will work in the morning, but I’m still alive,” Rafael Nadal said.