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Berrettini’s serving barrage sees off Tsitsipas in Gstaad SF

  • Posted: Jul 20, 2024

Is there anyone better in the mountain conditions of the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad than Matteo Berrettini?

The Italian on Saturday booked his spot in the championship match for the third time at the clay ATP 250 by downing top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6(6), 7-5 in a semi-final of fine margins. Berrettini held his nerve in a tense first-set tie-break before clinching the only break of serve of the match in the 12th game of the second set to earn a one-hour, 43-minute victory.

The sixth-seeded Berrettini had not beaten Tsitsipas in three previous Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings against the Greek. He set that record straight with a near-perfect serving display on Saturday in the Swiss Alps, where he did not face a break point and won 92 per cent (46/50) of points behind his first delivery, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“I know that I have to be really focused, because I couldn’t break him until the end,” said Berrettini in his on-court interview. “I put a lot of attention and energy when I was serving, because I knew that the match could change. Stefanos is a great player, he knows how to mix things up and the tie-break was really right, but again like yesterday I think I played a little bit better in important moments.

“I kept serving well and believing that something could happen in a return game, and it happened in the end.”

Berrettini will take on Quentin Halys in Sunday’s championship match, as he looks to add a second Gstaad crown to the one he won in 2018. The Italian also reached the final in 2022, when he fell to Casper Ruud.

“Every year, every final is different, definitely,” said Berrettini, when asked how his 2024 final run compared. “The first one was unexpected. I came here and had never even played semis on Tour. I loved the conditions and match by match was playing better, and then I got the title, so that was definitely different.

“This one feels special for many reasons. I’ve been off the court because of injuries and stuff, so coming back and reaching the final here in this special place, it is something special. Definitely one of the best.”

Berrettini was outside the Top 150 of the PIF ATP Rankings as recently as March after an injury-plagued 12 months, but he is now up to No. 58 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings and could return to the Top 50 if he wins the title in Gstaad.

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In the first semi-final of the day, French qualifier Halys continued his dream run by easing past fifth seed Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 7-6(2). A former World No. 61, Halys is competing this week as the No. 192 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Yet he has deployed his big-serving game to great effect in Switzerland and will now take on Berrettini in his maiden ATP Tour final.

Although it will be the first Lexus ATP Head2Head clash between Berrettini and Halys, the pair has met once before at an ITF World Tennis Tour event in Italy in 2015, when Halys came out on top.

“It was a long time ago. I remember it was in Piombino in Tuscany, definitely on a different surface, a hard court,” recalled Berrettini. “I remember I couldn’t return his serve, so hopefully tomorrow I’m going to be able to do it. I saw every match that he played [this week], and I guess like me he’s getting more and more confident. He played so many matches and won against great players. It’s going to be a tough one, but I’m going to be ready.”

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Nadal shakes off stiff start, rallies past Ajdukovic to Bastad final

  • Posted: Jul 20, 2024

For the first time in more than two years, Rafael Nadal has that final feeling.

The Spaniard rallied from a set and a break down to overhaul Duje Ajdukovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday afternoon at the Nordea Open and reach his first tour-level championship match since 2022 Roland Garros.

Having overcome Mariano Navone in a four-hour marathon on Friday in Bastad, Nadal needed time to loosen up in his maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash against Croatian qualifier Ajdukovic. Yet he raised his level in time to recover after dropping serve in the opening game of the second set, going on to break his opponent’s serve five times across the second and third sets en route to a two-hour, 13-minute semi-final triumph.

“I think it was a tough match. My opponent had one of the best backhands that I played against,” said Nadal in his on-court interview. “He came here with a lot of confidence. I think I was trying to push him back. It was very, very difficult, honestly, but I found a way to survive and be through to that final after a long time without being in a final. So that’s great news and I’m very happy with that.”

Just as he had against Navone, Nadal sealed victory despite letting slip a double-break lead in the deciding set. After Ajdukovic rallied from 0-3 to 3-3, the former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings immediately broke through on return again before holding firm behind his serve to clinch the win.

Although he made a relatively slow start to Saturday’s match, Nadal delivered a more consistent performance overall than he had against Navone. He was particularly clinical on return, and converted all six break points he earned against Ajdukovic, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“Always it is a great feeling to be back in a final,” said Nadal. “I have won four matches in a row, something I was not able to make happen since two years ago. A lot of things happened, but still in this process of recovering, a lot of things I lost, because I had a very important hip surgery almost one year ago.

“So things were not going that easy, but I am fighting. I am fighting during the whole tournament to be where I am today, and I think matches like yesterday’s, like today’s, help to improve a lot of things on court. I am happy with that, and let’s see if I am able to play a little bit better tomorrow.”

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Now 11-8 for the season, Nadal will take on seventh seed Nuno Borges, who defeated Thiago Agustin Tirante 6-3, 6-4 to reach his first ATP Tour championship match, for the trophy in Sweden. The 38-year-old is on a nine-match winning streak in Bastad, where he lifted the trophy on his previous appearance in 2005.

Despite the disappointment of defeat, Ajdukovic can reflect on an impressive week in Bastad, where he defeated Luca Van Assche, Pavel Kotov and Thiago Monteiro to reach his maiden ATP Tour semi-final. The 23-year-old has risen 20 spots to No. 110 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings as a result of his run, setting him up for a new career-high in Monday’s edition of the PIF ATP Rankings.

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‘Old 19-year-old’ Michelsen reflects on first year on Tour

  • Posted: Jul 20, 2024

One year ago, #NextGenATP American Alex Michelsen had never won an ATP Tour main draw match. Then 18, he was not yet a professional tennis player.

But the Infosys Hall of Fame Open changed the trajectory of his career. Instead of continuing towards a college tennis career at the University of Georgia, he reached the final in Newport, turned pro and became one of the brightest young stars in the sport. One year on, the 19-year-old is back in the Newport semi-finals.

“It’s pretty fun. The two best ATP tournaments that I’ve played have been here back to back years. I’m definitely coming with a lot more experience and I feel like I’ve been using that this week,” Michelsen told ATPTour.com. “I’ve got two straight-set wins over two very good players. So really happy with that. And yeah, last year was a whirlwind for me.”

Everywhere Michelsen went when he made his breakthrough at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, people asked the same question. “Are you going pro?”

The home favourite did not want to say at the time. The questions and the instant success were a lot for a teen who had never experienced such a spotlight in his life.

“It was a lot. Just walking from the hotel to here, everyone was saying, ‘Hi, good luck’, all this. I like to keep it low key and it was a lot for me. It was a lot for me, but I didn’t hate it,” Michelsen said. “I feel like I was rewarded for all my hard work. And everyone got to see that last year, because there were many, many years behind the scenes just grinding. So yes, some negatives, but mostly positives. I’ve loved it.”

The week before last year’s Infosys Hall of Fame Open, Michelsen was No. 250 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Now he is World No. 61 and has climbed as high as World No. 55. Last year, the American competed in the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.

“Next Gen was a good experience even though I didn’t win a match,” said Michelsen, who is second in this year’s PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah. “I’m planning on going back there this year and hopefully going to get some revenge on everybody and maybe at least win one match this time. That’s the goal. I’ve got to start with one.”

A lot has changed for Michelsen since the last time he was in Newport. He has traveled all around the world, enjoying countries like Portugal and eating schnitzel in Germany. He was just in Europe for the first extended period of time in his life and “it was awesome”.

“I feel like I’m an old 19-year-old. I’ve been everywhere I feel like. But once you’re in Europe, after like three, four weeks, I just accepted that I was going to be in Europe grinding it out,” Michelsen said. “It’s a job. You’ve got to do it right. I enjoyed it. I enjoy the grind. I enjoy the process.”

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But what has been the most fun? Michelsen’s answer might surprise you.

“I’m going to say when I got back from Wimby, because I hadn’t seen my friends in like, three, four months, and everyone was home for summer,” Michelsen said. “I played a lot of pickleball , went to the beach. It was a blast. I would say that in the last year for sure that’s the most fun I’ve had.

“That’s maybe why I’m doing well this week. That’s the longest I’ve been away from home for sure, by a longshot.”

Newport is now at a tournament that has become like home on the road in Newport. No matter what happens the rest of the week, beginning with his semi-final Saturday against wild card Reilly Opelka, the teen is keen to continue working hard to push forward in his journey.

“I try not to put pressure on myself,” Michelsen said. “I feel like even on the court, I’m always pumping myself up no matter what the score is. Win or lose a point, I’m saying something quietly or loudly to myself. I feel like the pressure hasn’t really gotten to me.”

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Richard Evans, a preeminent voice on tennis & new International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee

  • Posted: Jul 20, 2024

Richard Evans, the longtime tennis journalist and official who has helped tell the story of the sport for more than 60 years, will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday in the contributor category.

Patrick McEnroe, the president of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, introduced Evans at a press conference Thursday.

“For over six decades Richard has been a preeminent voice on tennis as a journalist and historian. He’s reported on over 200 Grand Slam tournaments. Maybe we should add one more because I just saw you in London at Wimbledon, which was awesome,” McEnroe said. “He’s been doing that since 1960. He’s written 23 books, including anthologies on open tennis, the Davis Cup, and biographies on some of tennis’ most legendary names, including two books on my brother John.”

It has been a memorable journey for Evans, who for more than 20 years has been part of the nominating committee for the Hall of Fame. Now, he is enjoying induction weekend on the other side of the equation — as an inductee alongside Leander Paes and Vijay Amritraj.

“I’d like to think it’s the brains trust of the game, because we have 25 people who really know tennis, mostly players, but also journalists like Steve Flink and Chris Bowers serve on the committee,” Evans said of the nominating committee. “It is not uncomplicated, but it still came as an enormous surprise to me and I was very honoured to think that my colleagues on that committee felt that I [should] have my name put forward.”

Evans’ career truly began when he was assigned to ghostwrite write Althea Gibson’s copy at Wimbledon. He worked on The Evening Standard’s sports desk and worked on the icon’s columns.

“I’d already been a journalist for about 18 months before I went in the British Army, doing national service, came out and got that assignment. That really started my tennis writing career, because before that it had been all football, rugby and cricket,” Evans said. “I’d watched tennis. I’d played a bit of tennis. I remember in my uniform in a club in Piccadilly on a black and white television watching Alex Olmedo beating Rod Laver in 1959. Everybody forgot Rod Laver lost two Wimbledon finals before he started winning everything in sight.”

Evans entered the sport in an era of Australian domination with champions ranging from Lew Hoard to Ken Rosewall and Tony Roche.

“I was their age, so I had this huge advantage of being able to travel with a group of players… There were no coaches, no managers, no agents, no wives or girlfriends, except for the odd occasion, traveling the world,” Evans said. “You can imagine the Aussies knew how to travel the world. They knew how to enjoy themselves on court, very competitive, and off court less competitive.

“It was great fun and an enormous introduction for me into tennis because I was living it.”

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Evans had the opportunity to enjoy plenty of dinners with the greats of the game. He recalled Ken Rosewall explaining why he was able to slice his backhand to Roy Emerson.

“You found yourself being in the thick of what it was like to be a top-class tennis player,” Evans said. “It was a wonderful school for me. It helped my writing.”

Over the years, Evans has written books about the history of the sport as well as its biggest stars, including McEnroe and Ilie Nastase. He also was a longtime commentator, spending time alongside the likes of Fred Perry and Frew McMillan.

“They showed me the commentary box and put some earphones on my head and said, ‘Right, you’re on’,” Evans recalled. “Nice introduction. It’s called being thrown into the deep end. You can either do it or you can’t. I hopefully got better with it.” 

Evans also spent several years working for the ATP in multiple capacities. He also spent seven years as a foreign corresponded in the United States and Paris.

“But always tennis was there,” Evans said. “I never let go of tennis.”

The chronicler of the sport also inspired fellow Class of 2024 inductee Paes.

“On the 12th of May, 1986, Richard Evans was there,” Paes said. “He was writing Vijay’s autobiography. I walked up to him as an 11-year-old and I stuck my hand out and I said, ‘Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Evans, I’m Leander Paes’. He goes, ‘What are you here for?’”

“I want to emulate my father in winning an Olympic medal,” Paes responded.

“On the 12th of May, 1986, Mr. Evans turned to me and said to this young 11-year-old kid, If you work hard enough, you might even get into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

“Well, here we are.”

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Game of aces helps Eubanks reach all-American Newport SFs

  • Posted: Jul 19, 2024

Who doesn’t love a game of aces?

After pitching a shutout at 3-all in the third set against Australian Aleksandar Vukic, Christopher Eubanks held on for a tight 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(3) win Friday at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open to advance to his first tour-level semi-final since he won his maiden title on grass in Mallorca last year.

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“You step to the line, the first one goes in, you have a good rhythm,” the American said in his on-court interview at the grass-court ATP 250 in Newport. “The second one goes in and the mind starts to wonder, ‘Oh, can I do it again?’

“You pump the third one and then all of a sudden the crowd starts to get behind you. I knew I was going for two first serves on that 40/0 point. Luckily I made the first one and I gave the crowd a little fist pump.”

The former Top 30 player has fallen to No. 128 in the PIF ATP Rankings after recently dropping points from Mallorca and from his quarter-final run at Wimbledon last year. He is 8-15 on the season.

Eubanks, who hit 13 aces and seven double faults according to Infosys ATP Stats, saved six of eight break points he faced. The 28-year-old has climbed to No. 105 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, and will re-enter the Top 100 should he advance to the final.

Eubanks on Saturday will face his Olympics teammate, second-seeded Marcos Giron, who defeated Australian Alex Bolt 6-4, 6-1 to set an all-American semi-final line-up in Newport for the first time since 1985 (Gullikson, Pate, Sadri and Mayotte).

Playing in front of mentor Andre Agassi, who is in town for this weekend’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Giron saved all three break points he faced to move into his seventh semi-final (2-4 record) and third this year (Dallas and Delray Beach).

“Four Americans in the semi-finals is something we love to see, I’m pumped that we’re here,” Giron said. “I’ve known Chris for a long time so it’s great to see him stepping up this week and playing really well and I’m really proud to be teammates with him the next couple of weeks.”

Giron, now 18-17 on the season, moved back to his career-high mark of No. 44 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings after defeating Bolt in a first-time Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.

In Saturday’s other semi-final, #NextGenATP star Alex Michelsen will take on big-serving Reilly Opelka, who has struck form this week after an extended layoff due to injury.

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Zverev tops Zhang in Hamburg for season-leading 43rd win

  • Posted: Jul 19, 2024

Alexander Zverev’s mission to win back-to-back titles in his hometown continued apace on Friday evening at the Hamburg Open.

The top seed and defending champion eased past Zhang Zhizhen 6-4, 6-3 to reach the semi-finals for the fourth time at the clay-court ATP 500. With his 66-minute triumph, his 43rd of the season, Zverev moved clear of World No. 1 Jannik Sinner for the most tour-level wins in 2024.

Zverev powered 22 winners, including 10 aces, according to Infosys ATP Stats, in a dominant victory against the eighth-seeded Zhang. The manner of victory for the No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings was in stark contrast to his three-set battle against Hugo Gaston on Thursday evening, when he appeared to struggle with a knee injury he sustained earlier this month at Wimbledon.

“I’m extremely pleased with the level of tennis today,” said Zverev in his post-match interview. “I think it was a big step up from yesterday, but obviously a very different match as well. I’m happy to be in the semi-finals, but I don’t want to stop here, I want to continue and hopefully defend my title here in Hamburg.”

Zverev has this year reached the final at Roland Garros, the semi-finals at the Australian Open and won an ATP Masters 1000 crown in Rome. Later this month, he will begin his defence of his Olympic crown at Paris 2024. The 27-year-old was asked how his season so far has compared to 2021, when he finished the year with 59 tour-level wins and won six titles.

“2021 was strange, because I started the season OK, I was playing well, but then the second half of the season, I barely lost a match,” he recalled. “So I hope if it goes like that this year, especially with the Olympics and especially with the US Open, I’ll be the happiest person on the planet. We’ll see how it goes. I’m satisfied with the level of tennis I’m playing right now, but it takes a lot of hard work to continue on this path and on this journey.”

The next assignment for Zverev in his Hamburg title defence is a last-four clash against Pedro Martinez. The Spaniard rallied past fourth seed Francisco Cerundolo 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 to reach his first ATP 500 semi-final.

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In the bottom half of the draw, third seed Sebastian Baez and fifth seed Arthur Fils will play their maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash for a spot in the championship match. Baez pulled through for a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory against Luciano Darderi . He has now won a Tour-leading 23 matches on clay this year.

Fils was leading Holger Rune 6-4, 4-1 when the second-seeded Dane was forced to retire from the pair’s quarter-final clash due to a right knee injury. The #NextGenATP Frenchman Fils, who also reached the last four last year, is up three spots to a career-high No. 25 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings as a result of his Hamburg run so far. Should he win the title in Germany, he would crack the Top 20 in the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time on Monday.

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Krajicek/Ram dominate on serve, book Hamburg SF spot

  • Posted: Jul 19, 2024

The top two seeds at the Hamburg Open advanced to the semi-finals Friday following convincing victories. Americans Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram raced past Italians Flavio Cobolli and Luciano Darderi 6-4, 6-4 while second seeds Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz beat Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen 7-5, 6-2.

Krajicek and Ram, teaming for the second time this year at an ATP Tour event, dropped just three points behind their first serves and did not face a break point, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Up next for the top seeds at the clay ATP 500 is a semi-final clash against third seeds Fabien Reboul and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

Defending champions Krawietz and Puetz also produced a dominant serving performance, winning 85 per cent (40/47) of their service points. It will be an all-German semi-final as Krawietz and Puetz face Jakob Schnaitter and Mark Wallner or Constantin Frantzen and Hendrik Jebens.

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Bhambri/Olivetti win in Gstaad, continue quest for second title
Third seeds Yuki Bhambri and Albano Olivetti earned a 6-3, 7-6(4) victory against fifth seeds Sander Arends and Robin Haase to reach the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad final.

The Indian-French team is into its third tour-level final of the season, having won the Munich title and finished runner-up in Lyon. Bhambri and Olivetti will face eighth seeds Andre Begemann and Victor Cornea or Ugo Humbert and Fabrice Martin in the championship match.

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/07/19/17/04/bhambri-olivetti-gstaad-2024-friday.jpg?w=100%25&hash=B91D658F92823C4AC6E02D0CADF76577″ style=”width:100%;” alt=”Yuki Bhambri (at net) and Albano Olivetti during Friday’s Gstaad action.” />

Yuki Bhambri (at net) and Albano Olivetti during Friday’s Gstaad action. Credit: Fabian Meierhans / EFG Swiss Open Gstaad 2024

Sixth seeds Goransson/Verbeek oust home favourites in Newport QFs
Andre Goransson and Sem Verbeek spoiled the hopes of home favourites Mackenzie McDonald and Alex Michelsen at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open with a 7-5, 6-4 win against the Americans.

“It’s really nice. Regardless of who you play, it’s always nice to get to the semis of a 250,” said Verbeek after the quarter-final win. “Whether it’s singles or doubles, they’re always going to be great tennis players at this level. You just have to be focused on what you need to do well, and I think we did a good job of that today. Pleased with the win.”

“I agree. I’m focused more on our performance,” concurred Goransson. “I thought we did a lot of good things today, especially mentally, staying resilient and focused on the task. I’m very proud of that.”

Into the semi-finals, the sixth-seeded Swedish-Dutch duo will next meet Australians Luke Saville and Aleksandar Vukic.

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/07/19/17/16/verbeek-goransson-newport-2024-friday.jpg” style=”width:100%;” alt=”Sem Verbeek (left) and Andre Goransson at the grass ATP 250 in Newport.” />

Sem Verbeek (left) and Andre Goransson at the grass ATP 250 in Newport. Credit: Andrew Eichenholz/ATP Tour

Guinard/Jacq reach Bastad final
Frenchmen Manuel Guinard and Gregoire Jacq are turning their ATP Challenger Tour success into a dream run at the Nordea Open, where they upset top seeds Gonzalo Escobar and Aleksandr Nedovyesov 6-3, 6-4 to reach their first tour-level final.

Guinard and Jacq, who have won four ATP Challenger Tour doubles titles this season, including last week in Salzburg, await third seeds Orlando Luz and Rafael Matos or singles superstars Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud in the Bastad title match.

What to know about the 2024 ATP Doubles Trial implemented this week in Hamburg, Gstaad and Newport

  • Singles versus doubles team matches in the first round whenever possible by increasing the number of doubles seeded teams to 8 (up from 4)
  • 21 seconds between all points
  • 60-second changeovers with a time call after 40 seconds. Points should start at the 60-second mark at the latest
  • Free crowd movement
  • Doubles-only court (when possible)
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4-hour workout! Nadal grinds down Navone in Bastad QF marathon

  • Posted: Jul 19, 2024

Rafael Nadal passed a stern physical test from Mariano Navone with the help of some trademark mental strength on Friday at the Nordea Open in Bastad.

The former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings battled to a 6-7(2), 7-5, 7-5 triumph against Navone in an absorbing four-hour quarter-final at the clay-court ATP 250. Nadal struggled to maintain his best level for long periods in the match but dug in superbly after letting slip a 5-2 lead in the deciding set to reach his first tour-level semi-final since Wimbledon 2022.

“I lost for some moments my concentration, but I was able to hold physically until the end,” said Nadal in his on-court interview. “That is so important for me. Let’s see how I am tomorrow, but today I am alive and in the semi-finals, so that’s very important.”

Nadal and Navone played out three topsy-turvy sets, all of which lasted more than an hour, in their maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting. In the first, Nadal rallied from a double-break down at 1-4 to force a tie-break, which Navone composed himself to clinch in style. In the second, it was Navone’s turn to recover a double-break deficit from 0-3, but he was unable to stop Nadal from clinching his third, decisive break of the set in the 11th game.

The World No. 36 Navone appeared to have taken control again early in the third set, when he broke Nadal’s serve in the second game for a 2-0 lead. Then came the Nadal charge, as the 92-time tour-level champion reeled off five straight games, before Navone again recovered from a double break down to level at 5-5. Finally, after notching his 10th break of Navone’s serve in the match in the 11th game of the decider, Nadal held firm behind his delivery to snatch his 10th tour-level victory of 2024.

“There were a lot of changing dynamics in every single set,” said Nadal. “For moments, he was in control. For moments, I was in control. But at the end, no one was in control! That’s true, and I had a good chance in the second with 3-0. Then I was very close to losing the match in the second set.

“In the third [I was ahead] again with 5-2, but he’s a great fighter and he played a great match. I wish him all the very best for the rest of the season.”

Nadal is this week competing in his first tour-level event since his first-round defeat to Alexander Zverev at Roland Garros in May. The 38-year-old is now on an eight-match winning streak in Bastad, where he won the title on his previous appearance in 2005. He will take on Duje Ajdukovic in the semi-finals after the Croatian qualifier downed Thiago Monteiro 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

More to follow…

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