Bastad Open: Rafael Nadal beats Duje Ajdukovic to reach 1st final since 2022

Rafael Nadal has reached the final for the first time since 2022 as he reached the summit clash of the Bastad Open on July 20, Saturday. The Spaniard staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Duje Ajdukovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday afternoon at the Nordea Open, advancing to his first tour-level final since the 2022 Roland Garros.

After a grueling four-hour battle against Mariano Navone on Friday in Bastad, Nadal needed time to find his rhythm in his first-ever encounter with Croatian qualifier Ajdukovic. Despite dropping serve in the opening game of the second set, Nadal elevated his performance, breaking Ajdukovic's serve five times across the final two sets to secure a two-hour, 13-minute semi-final



victory.

Nadal mirrored his previous match against Navone by sealing the win despite losing a double-break lead in the deciding set. Ajdukovic fought back from 0-3 to 3-3, but Nadal immediately broke serve again and maintained his composure to clinch the match.

Starting slowly on Saturday, Nadal ultimately delivered a more consistent performance compared to his match against Navone. He was particularly effective on return, converting all six break points against Ajdukovic.

With an 11-8 record for the season, Nadal will face either seventh seed Nuno Borges or Thiago Agustin Tirante in Sunday’s final in Sweden. The 38-year-old is currently on a nine-match winning streak in Bastad, where he last won the trophy in 2005.