Nadal confirms Swedish Open final spot with another comeback win

Rafael Nadal booked his place in the final Swedish Open after beating Duje Ajdukovic in Bastad.

Nadal came from a set down, as he did in his quarter-final triumph over Mariano Navone, to win 4-6 6-3 6-4 on Centre Court.

Ajdukovic started the faster of the two, winning a break point early on and raced into a three-game lead against the Spaniard.

While Nadal found his rhythm, winning a break of his own in the fifth game, the Croatian was able to hold his serve to take the first set with relative ease.

The 22-time major winner learned his lesson from his slow start, trading blows with Ajdukovic and earning a quick break point of his own in the third game.

Ajdukovic would rally, but another break point from Nadal in the seventh game proved decisive as he saw out the set to take it to a decider.

And it looked as though the Spaniard would ease into Sunday's final as he led 3-0, but Ajdukovic would fight back, going on to win the next three games.

Nadal, however, used all his experience to regain composure before finding a crucial break in the eighth game, ending the contest on serve as his opponent deft touch from the back of the court found the net.

Nadal will face either Thiago Agustin Tirante or Nuno Borges in Sunday's final.

Clay title No.64 within reach!@RafaelNadal returns to a tour-level final for the first time since @rolandgarros 2022 @NordeaOpen | #NordeaOpen pic.twitter.com/LmreqseYCD

— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 20, 2024

Data Debrief: Nadal back on top

His second as a wildcard after Hamburg in 2015, Nadal has now reached his 72nd ATP event final on clay.

It is the second-most of any player on the surface in the Open Era, trailing only Guillermo Vilas (76) over that span.

Nadal's victory sees him reach his first tour-level final for the first time since Roland Garros in 2022 where he beat Casper Rudd for his 14th French Open title.