Rafael Nadal’s preparation for the Olympics advanced with a solid straight-set victory over Britain’s Cameron Norrie in the second round of the Swedish Open. The match, held in Bastad, saw Nadal, 38, defeating the fifth seed with scores of 6-4, 6-4. This win secures Nadal a place in the quarter-finals, where he will face Argentine Mariono Navone.
Nadal has opted to skip Wimbledon this year to focus on the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris, where he will compete in both singles and doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz. On Saturday, Nadal is also set to play in the doubles semi-final with Casper Ruud.
During the match, Nadal broke Norrie’s serve once in the first set to gain the advantage. After suffering a heavy fall at the beginning of the second set and receiving medical treatment on his arm, Nadal was broken by an improved Norrie. Despite trailing 4-1, Nadal managed to win five consecutive games, showcasing his best performance of the season and securing his place in the quarter-finals.
“Great feelings, it’s been a while without playing on the Tour since Roland Garros and I had a chance to compete against a great player like Cameron,” Nadal commented. “It’s part of the journey today. I haven’t been competing very often so matches like today help and holding the pressure on the opponent for the whole game is something I need to improve on because I haven’t played enough.”
