By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Friday, July 19, 2024
Rafael Nadal scored a wild 6-7(2), 7-5, 7-5 Bastad victory over Mariano Navone that was one minute shy of four hours and sent Nadal into his first semifinal since the 2022 Wimbledon.
Photo credit: Adam Ihse/TT Agency/Getty
Digging in the dirt never flustered Rafael Nadal.
When the finish line loomed in today’s four-hour Bastad marathon, Nadal crossed it moving forward.
Watch: Shot of the Year
Some superb serve-and-volley helped Nadal close a wild 6-7(2), 7-5, 7-5 Bastad victory over Mariano Navone that was one minute shy of four hours and sent Nadal into his first semifinal since the 2022 Wimbledon.
A match of shifting momentum and opportunity saw both Navone and Nadal earn a couple of set points before the first set escalated into a tiebreaker.
Two-time Olympic gold medal-champion Nadal built a 3-1 second-set lead only to see Navone serve for the match at 5-4. Nadal rallied from a break down in the decider unleashing a give-game run for a 5-2 lead before Navone leveled it setting up Nadal’s final net attacking heroices to close.
“Without a doubt have been very close,” Nadal said. “A lot of changing dynamics in every singles set.
“For moments, he was in control. For moments, I was in control. But at the end, no one was in control. That’s the truth.
“I had a good chance in the second with that 3-0 then I was very close to losing that match in the second set. Then in the third with 5-2 but he’s a great fighter. I think he played a great match. I wish him all the very best for the rest of the season.”
The 38-year-old Spanish superstar arrived in Bastad saying he wanted match play in preparation for this month’s Paris Olympics.
Between today’s marathon—the second-longest three-setter of Nadal’s storied career—and his doubles partnership with Casper Ruud, Nadal is getting plenty of time on court.
The question is: How will his body pull up ahead of tomorrow’s semifinal against qualifier Duje Ajdukovic.
Earlier, Ajdukovic was a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 victor over Thiago Monteiro.
In today’s second quarterfinal, Nadal converted 10 of 21 break-point chances and though he built and lost leads his patience and perseverance were essential elements in a demanding win.
“No, I was not focused all the time as you saw. With this 3-0 and 5-2 so I lost moments the concentration but yeah I was able to hold physically until the end,” Nadal said. “That’s so important for me. Let’s see how I am tomorrow.
“But today, I am live and I am in the semifinals. So that’s super important. I can’t thank enough all of the support here that have been so special for me, thank you very much.”
The first meeting between the pair started with three straight service breaks. Nadal struggled to land first serves at the outset and missed a couple of drop shots.
Navone backed up the break holding at 30 for a 3-1 lead. Firing his forehand with menace and depth, Navone crushed a short forehand for break point and took a 4-1 double-break lead on a wild Nadal forehand.
Digging in, Nadal saved two set points when Navone served for the set at 5-4.
The 14-time Roland Garros champion stamped successive love holds to lead 6-5 and earned two set points of his own in the 12th game.
On the first set point, Nadal missed a running forehand. On the second set point, an assertive Navone cracked an aggressive forehand that saved it. A backhand winner down the line helped Navone hold to force the tiebreaker.
The 23-year-old Argentinean torched through the start of the tiebreaker.
Leaning into his two-hander, Navone banged a backhand winner, rapped a heavy crosscourt forehand and when Nadal netted a drop shot, the man in the canary-colored top led 3-0.
Bursting out of the blocks to chase down a drop shot, Navone nudged a slick angled backhand reply for a 4-0 lead. Nadal narrowly missed a forehand down the line as Navone earned a fistful of set points at 6-1.
On his fourth set point, Navone clinched a topsy-turvy one hour, 24 minute opener when Nadal sprayed a forehand down the line wide.
Navone erupted with a shout snatching the one-set lead as Nadal left the court for a clothing change.
Resetting, Nadal sent Navone scurrying all over the court before stepping in and slamming a forehand down the line breaking at love to start the second set. Nadal immediately confirmed the break for a 2-0 lead.
The 38-year-old Nadal was dripping sweat as he streaked up to a drop shot and drove a backhand reply down the line for another break point. Navone double faulted the double break and a 3-0 second-set lead away to the former world No. 1.
Playing deep down the middle, Navone got one of the breaks back.
Lack of match play was apparent as Nadal could not stretch the lead. Nadal buried a backhand into the corner to fend off a second break point, but Navone stung his own backhand down the line for a third break point. This time, Nadal double-faulted away the break as Navone leveled at 3-all.
Zapping a forehand winner, Navone sealed his fourth straight game with a firm “Allez!” edging ahead 4-3.
Relentless grit and a trajectory shift helped Nadal carve out the key break. Defending the baseline, Nadal was playing higher, loopier topspin almost daring Navone to step in and take a crack. The Argentinean obliged but overshot the mark on a forehand as Nadal broke for 6-5.
Tremendous touch helped Nadal cross the second-set finish line.
Luring Navone in with a drop shot, Nadal played a perfect lob inside the baseline then floated forward for a set-ending smash. Nadal celebrated with an extended fist pump forcing the final set after two hours, 30 minutes of physical play.
The fourth seed was repeatedly running around his backhand slamming forehands into both corners of the court. Navone used that probing play drawing first-break blood for a 2-0 lead in the decider.
Elevating his play to match Navone’s level, Nadal broke back then withstood a demanding third game.
Facing a break point, Nadal pulled off an authoritative serve-and-volley to save it, tomahawked a clean forehand winner down the line then capped one of his most dynamic sequences of the day with another serve-and-volley winner to level after four games.
Once Nadal got even, he made Navone pay a physical price for every point.
The 38-year-old Spaniard tightened the vise-grip converting his fifth break point on a backhand error to seize a 3-2 lead.
Nadal charged through five straight games building a 5-2 lead, but stumbled into a triple break point hole when serving for the semifinal. Navone broke back and held to put the pressure back on the king of clay.
When Nadal scattered a forehand wide, he faced double break point—compounded by a time violation warning. Nadal saved the first break point with a body serve. On the second break point, Navone whipped three heavy forehands in succession, breaking with a diagonal forehand for 5-all.
Shaking off that setback, Nadal came right back rattling out a series of errors to break at 15 for 6-5.
Bending low for a pair of phenomenal angled volleys, Nadal served a three hour, 59-minute marathon out at love.
An ecstatic Nadal hurled a huge uppercut into the air as Bastad fans erupted in rhythmic clapping.