In preparation for the Olympics in Paris, Rafael Nadal easily defeated Leo Borg, the son of legendary tennis player Bjorn Borg, on Tuesday to move on to the Bastad Open second round.
In preparation for the Olympics in Paris, Rafael Nadal easily defeated Leo Borg, the son of legendary tennis player Bjorn Borg, on Tuesday to move on to the Bastad Open second round. In damp conditions, Rafael Nadal easily defeated his opponent 6-3, 6-4. It was Nadal’s first singles encounter since the 38-year-old lost in the opening round at Roland Garros on May 27. Both Nadal and the 21-year-old Borg—who is presently ranked 461 in the world—entered the Swedish clay-court competition as wild cards. Nadal broke for a 3-1 lead, slamming four aces to win the opening set in forty-three minutes, despite an early scare when the former world number one slipped on the wet white line. The Spaniard took the lead in the second set thanks to an early break, and after spending one hour and twenty-five minutes on the court, he won his eighth victory this season on his second match point.
Since winning the title at the age of 19 in 2005, Rafael Nadal has not participated in Bastad. “It’s good, I’m finally defending my title,” he quipped.
“Over the past few months, I haven’t played a lot of tennis.
Playing in front of a large audience makes me feel amazing, and I’m grateful that the show could go on without rain.
“The team’s support has allowed me to persevere through the hardest times, but the fans undoubtedly have a significant influence on that as well. They infuse me with incredible vitality.”
The 68-year-old son of the long-retired former world number one Bjorn Borg, the 22-time Grand Slam champion, was hailed by his opponent.
“It’s a huge honour to play against the son of one of the biggest legends in the history of our sport,” stated Rafael Nadal.
“I believe he performed admirably, and he has a bright future ahead of him. I hope the best for him.”
Nadal’s next opponent in the second round will be fifth-seeded Cameron Norrie, who defeated Slovak player Jozef Kovalik 7-6 (7/4), 6-4.
In order to concentrate on the Olympics, which will be held at Roland Garros, the site of his 14 French Open victories, Rafael Nadal missed Wimbledon.
In Bastad, two weeks before the Paris Games, Nadal and Casper Ruud won a doubles match on clay on Monday.
On Wednesday, top-seeded Andrey Rublev will take on Argentina’s Thiago Tirante, who is ranked 121st.
