Rafael Nadal Intensifies Olympics Preparation With Win Over Cameron Norrie
Rafael Nadal with an impressive straight-set victory over Britain’s Cameron Norrie in the second round of the Swedish Open is gatum in his preparations for the upcoming Olympic games
The 38-year-old Spaniard defeated the fifth-seeded Norrie 6-4, 6-4 in Bastad, setting up a quarter-final clash with Argentine Mariano Navone.
Nadal, who decided to skip Wimbledon to focus on the Paris Olympics, where he will compete in both singles and doubles with Carlos Alcaraz, demonstrated his form and determination on the court.
In the first set, Nadal secured an early break to take the lead. Despite a heavy fall at the start of the second set that required medical treatment for his arm, Nadal fought back from a 4-1 deficit. He won five consecutive games to secure his place in the last eight, marking his best performance of the season.
“Great feelings, it’s been a while without playing on the Tour since Roland Garros and I had a chance to compete against a great player like Cameron,” Nadal said.
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“It’s part of the journey today. I haven’t been competing very often so matches like today help and holding the pressure on the opponent for the whole game is something I need to improve on because I haven’t played enough.”
Nadal is also set to play in the doubles semi-final with Casper Ruud on Saturday, further sharpening his skills ahead of the Olympics.
With this victory, Nadal continues to build momentum and confidence as he prepares for a busy summer of competition on both the ATP Tour and the Olympic stage.
