Nadal forced into survival mode during Ajdukovic win in Bastad

Rafael Nadal insisted he was forced into survival mode to reach a first tour-level final since 2022 following his win over Duje Ajdukovic in Bastad.

Nadal continued his preparations for the Paris Olympics by coming from a set down to reach the final of the Swedish Open on Sunday.

The Spaniard will either play Thiago Agustin Tirante or Nuno Borges before travelling to France to try and claim a third gold medal at the games.

Nadal's last tour-level final came at Roland Garros two years ago, where this year's tennis will be taking place during the Paris Olympics.

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Nadal's semi-final test came just a day after a gruelling four-hour win over Mariano Navone, the second-longest three-set match of his career.

The Spaniard was able to complete the victory in just two hours and 12 minutes, but insisted that Ajdukovic posed a difficult opponent on Centre Court.

“I think it was a tough match," Nadal said in his on-court interview. "My opponent had one of the best backhands that I played against.

"He came here with a lot of confidence. I think I was trying to push him back.

"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 continues his Olympic Games preparation later on Saturday, with a doubles semi-final clash against Orlando Luz and Rafael Matos, alongside partner Casper Ruud.