July 18, (THEWILL) – Rafael Nadal defeated Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-4 in the Bastad Open on Thursday, securing his place in the quarter-finals.
The Spanish tennis star showed impressive form on the Swedish clay, demonstrating the powerful hitting that has led him to 14 French Open titles.
Nadal took control early in the match, breaking Norrie’s serve at 3-3 in the first set. Despite a brief medical timeout for his left elbow after a fall in the second set, Nadal quickly recovered. He overcame a 4-1 deficit in the second set, winning five consecutive games to close out the match.
The victory marks Nadal’s ninth Tour win of 2024 and his first back-to-back win since reaching the last-16 of the Madrid Open in April. In his post-match interview, Nadal expressed satisfaction with his performance, noting he played “good tennis” at times against a strong opponent.
Nadal will face fourth-seeded Argentinian Mariano Navone in the quarter-finals. The 38-year-old Spaniard is now the highest-ranked player left in the tournament after the elimination of third seed Tallon Griekspoor.
This win continues Nadal’s preparation for the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris, where he aims to add to his already impressive medal collection.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
