Nadal passes acid test anew

BASTAD, Sweden (AFP) — Rafael Nadal reached his first final on Saturday since winning the 2022 French Open, defeating Croatian qualifier Duje Ajdukovic in a three-set tussle in Bastad ahead of the Paris Olympics.

A day after his four-hour quarter-final victory, the 22-time Grand Slam champion was again tested by Ajdukovic, the world No. 130 who had won just two tour-level matches before this week.

The Spaniard rebounded from dropping the opening set to prevail 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, returning to the final of a tournament he won as a teenager on his last appearance in 2005.

“It was a very tough match. It was very difficult honestly, but I found a way to survive and be through to the final after a long time without being in a final, so that’s great news and I’m very happy with that,” Nadal said.

The 38-year-old will play Portuguese seventh seed Nuno Borges, who overcame Argentina’s Thiago Agustin Tirante 6-3, 6-4, as he goes in search of the 93rd singles title of his career.