Rafael Nadal successfully returned to the tennis courts at the 2024 Bastad Open, and he will try to follow up on the success against Cameron Norrie.
The 38-year-old returned to tennis courts for the first time since Roland Garros, where his journey ended in the first round for the first time in his career. The return proved relatively successful as he cruised past Leo Borg in two sets to win his first match since May.
The Spaniard played and served really well, which made everything easier for him. He never ran into any trouble against the home player. However, his next opponent, Norrie, will be a step up from the young Swede.
Head-to-head:
The two have played five times so far in ATP Tour-level matches, and unsurprisingly, Nadal mostly dominated. What is interesting is that Norrie was able to win one match, and it was their most recent meeting played at last year's United Cup.
Nadal won all the other ones easily, especially the two played on clay, which were both straight sets victories. In short, it's a matchup that the Spanish veteran dominates, especially on the red dirt.
Nadal is far from his best tennis right now, but Norrie isn't playing that well either. Funnily enough, some of the best tennis Norrie has played in recent years came on clay, which is a bit surprising.
| Rafael Nadal | Cameron Norrie | |
| 4 | H2H | 1 |
| 261 | Rank | 42 |
| 38 | Age | 28 |
| 8-5 | 2024 W/L | 17-14 |
| 1076-225 | Career W/L | 205-150 |
Prediction:
The matchup will largely depend on how Nadal plays. If he brings the serve as he did against Borg, he'll have an effortless time on his serve, which is crucial. As long as he keeps his opponent away from chances, the 'King of Clay' should be the clear favorite because he'll certainly create some chances to break.
Prediction: Rafael Nadal to win in two sets.
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