Rafael Nadal plays a backhand during his semi-final defeat of Duje Ajdukovic at the Nordea Open. -AP
Rafael Nadal has reached his first final since the 2022 French Open by rallying to beat Duje Ajdukovic 4-6 6-3 6-4 at the clay-court Nordea Open in Bastad.
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After needing four hours to beat the 36th-ranked Mariano Navone in Friday's quarter-finals, Nadal had a slow start against Ajdukovic on Saturday and was a break down in the second set before turning things around.
"My opponent had one of the best backhands that I played against," Nadal said.
"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."
Nadal will play either Nuno Borges or Thiago Agustin Tirante in the final.
Nadal is playing at the tournament in Sweden for the first time since he won the title as a 19-year-old in 2005 as he prepares for the Olympic tournament on clay at Roland Garros in Paris.
The 38-year-old Nadal skipped Wimbledon as he did not want to switch surface to grass and then back to clay and risk injury. He has been dealing with hip and abdominal injuries over the past 18 months.
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