Rafael Nadal boosted his preparations for the Olympics with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Cameron Norrie in Bastad.
The win means that Nadal is into his first ATP quarter-final of the season with an impressive straight sets win.
It didn’t all go Nadal’s way as the Spaniard was tested in the opening set with Norrie producing some consistent and attacking play.
The British number two managed to create some tough moments for Nadal but ultimately Norrie lacked that killer instinct to make it count.
That was the difference between him and Nadal as the Spaniard used the forehand to move Norrie out of position, therefore finishing the points off with ease.
A break in the seventh game put Nadal in control but the former champion in Bastad had to work hard to close out the opening set with Norrie pushing for the break.
However, Nadal did secure the opening set 6-4 with some incredible hitting.
As expected though Nadal’s level dropped in the second set as he still hasn’t managed to find his consistent level.
A sensational passing shot at the net saw Norrie break before consolidating to take a 4-1 lead.
It was an incredible turnaround for the Brit but a lack of composure and concentration allowed Nadal a chance to get back in the match.
Get back in the match Nadal did as he managed to sustain a high level of play throughout the next period of the match, securing five games in a row to claim the win.
After the match Nadal spoke about how crucial it was for him to improve his rhythm, “I think I played in some moments good tennis, in some moments I need to play a little bit more aggressive, but that is part of the journey today,” Nadal told the ATP website.
“Great feelings. I’ve been a while without playing on the Tour, since Roland Garros. To have the chance to compete well against a great player like Cameron is a great feeling.
“I haven’t been competing very often, so matches and victories like today help. To be in rhythm the whole match and hold the pressure on the opponent the whole match, that’s something that I need to improve, because I didn’t play enough.”
Nadal will now aim for a tenth win of the season when he plays fourth seed Mariano Navone on Friday.
