Nadal reaches the final at the Nordea Open for the first time in two years, beating Ajdukovic in a hard-fought semi-final.

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Bastad (Sweden): The Spanish tennis legend reached the final of the ongoing Nordea Open on Saturday by defeating Duje Ajdukovic in a hard-fought semi-final, his first title fight in more than two years.

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Nadal defeated Ajdukovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a match that lasted two hours and 13 minutes, according to the ATP’s official website. He reached his first tour-level championship match since the 2022 French Open final, where he defeated Casper Ruud, to win his 14th title in Paris.

After defeating Mariano Navone in a four-hour marathon on Friday, Nadal needed some time to recover and prepare for his first ATP head-to-head clash with the Croat. After dropping the first set and serving in the opening game of the second set, Nadal went on a rampage, breaking Ajdukovic’s serve five times in sets two and three to secure the win.

After the final, Nadal said, as quoted by the ATP website, “I think it was a tough match. My opponent had one of the best backhands I’ve played against. He came here with a lot of confidence. I think I tried to push him back. It was very, very difficult, honestly, but I found a way to survive and reach the final after a long time without being in a final. So that’s great news and I’m very happy about that.”

Nadal secured the win despite losing a double-break lead in the deciding set. Nadal was more consistent than in his match against Navone, especially in his return, as he managed to convert all six break points he earned against Adjukovic.

Nadal said it was a great feeling to be back in a final after two years of injury.

“It’s always a great feeling to be back in a final. I’ve won four matches in a row, something I haven’t been able to do for two years. A lot has happened, but still, in this recovery process I’ve lost a lot, because almost a year ago I had a very important hip operation,” Nadal said.

“So it wasn’t that easy, but I’m fighting. I’m fighting the whole tournament to be where I am now, and I think games like yesterday, like today, help to improve a lot of things on the pitch. I’m happy with that, and let’s see if I can play a little bit better tomorrow,” he concluded.

Nadal has won 11 matches and lost eight this season. The challenge for the final is seventh-seeded player Nuno Borges, who defeated Thiago Agustin Tirante 6-3, 6-4 to win his first ATP tournament.