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Rafael Nadal made his first final since the 2022 French Open after coming from behind to defeat Duje Ajdukovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday at the Nordea Open on clay courts.
After a challenging four-hour match against the 36th-ranked Mariano Navone in the quarterfinals on Friday, Nadal struggled at the start against Ajdukovic and was trailing in the second set before turning the game around, as reported by The Associated Press.
Nadal commented on his opponent's strong backhand, saying, "It was very, very difficult, honestly, but I found a way to survive and make it to the final after a long time without being in one. So that’s great news and I’m very happy with that."
In the final, Nadal will face Nuno Borges, who defeated Thiago Agustin Tirante 6-3, 6-4 to reach his first tour-level final.
Nadal's return to the tournament in Sweden marks his first appearance since winning the title at the age of 19 in 2005 as he gears up for the Olympic tournament on clay at Roland Garros in Paris.
The 38-year-old Nadal opted out of Wimbledon as he didn't want to switch surfaces to grass and then back to clay, risking injury. He has been managing hip and abdominal injuries over the past 1 1/2 years.
