Rafael Nadal reaches Bastad semi-finals after four-hour marathon

NEW DELHI: Rafael Nadal advanced to the semi-finals of the Bastad Open on Friday after a hard-fought victory over Argentina's Mariano Navone. The match lasted three hours and 59 minutes, with Nadal ultimately prevailing 6-7 (2/7), 7-5, 7-5.
This marks the first time the 22-time Grand Slam champion has reached the semi-finals of a tournament since his appearance at Wimbledon in 2021.
"It was very close, long and tiring," AFP quoted Nadal, whose near four-hour victory was the second longest three-set match of his career -- after the 2009 Madrid semi-final against Novak Djokovic, which lasted 4hr 3min.
Nadal, the fourth seed, faced a challenging start against the rapidly ascending Navone, who is now ranked 36th in the world despite starting the year outside the top 100.
Nadal lost serve three times consecutively against Navone, who made history at this year's French Open by becoming the first man in the Open era to be seeded in his debut Grand Slam appearance.
Despite trailing 4-1 and facing a double break, Nadal fought his way back into the set, saving two set points in the 10th game before taking a 6-5 lead.
Nadal had two set points on Navone's serve, showcasing his resilience by pushing the set to a tie-break, where he claimed the first five points to gain control. However, Navone clinched the first set when Nadal hit a forehand wide.
Nadal quickly regained his composure and surged to a 3-0 lead in the second set. Navone, however, responded by winning four consecutive games before Nadal halted his momentum.
Navone held serve, putting pressure on Nadal, the 2005 Bastad champion. The 38-year-old remained unfazed, holding his serve and then breaking for a 6-5 advantage. Nadal forced a deciding set by closing out the second set with a powerful smash, celebrating with an energetic fist pump.
In the third set, Navone took a 2-0 lead before Nadal mounted a strong comeback, reeling off five games in a row. However, a late stumble allowed Navone to level the score at 5-all. Undeterred, Nadal broke again and finally secured the victory after a grueling match that lasted nearly four hours.
He had to overcome a poor start against the fast-rising Navone, now ranked 36th in the world after beginning the year outside the top 100.
Nadal dropped serve three times in a row against an opponent who became the first man in the Open era to be seeded in his maiden Grand Slam appearance at this year's French Open.
Nadal's next opponent will be Croatian qualifier Duje Ajdukovic, ranked 130th in the world, who had only won two tour-level matches before this tournament. The 23-year-old Ajdukovic defeated Brazil's Thiago Monteiro in three sets in the quarter-finals.
The Spaniard trailed 4-1 and was down a double break but battled his way back into the set, saving two set points in the 10th game before eventually moving 6-5 ahead.
Nadal himself had two set points as Navone served to stay in it, the fourth seed showing his mettle to force a tie-break in which he won the first five points to take charge.
Nadal, who last won a singles title at the 2022 French Open, where he claimed a record-extending 14th Roland Garros crown, is using the Bastad event as preparation for the Paris Olympics.
The tennis competition at the Olympics will take place at Roland Garros. Nadal made his return to the court this week for the first time since his first-round loss at the French Open in late May.
In addition to his singles campaign, Nadal is also competing in the doubles event in Sweden, partnering with Casper Ruud. The duo is scheduled to play in the semi-finals on Saturday, following Nadal's singles match.