Match Details
Fixture: (PR) Rafael Nadal vs (7) Nuno Borges
Date: July 18, 2024
Tournament: Nordea Open
Round: Final
Venue: Bastad, Sweden
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Clay
Prize money: €579,320
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | India - Discovery
Rafael Nadal vs Nuno Borges preview
Rafael Nadal will take on seventh seed Nuno Borges in the final of the Nordea Open on Sunday, July 21. Whoever wins, will bag their very first title of 2024.
While the Spaniard has definitely seen a lot better days in his glittering career, he has done well to reach his maiden final this season after a lot of early exits. Nadal reached the quarterfinals in Bastad after registering straight-set wins over Leo Borg (6-3. 6-4) and fifth seed Cameron Norrie (6-4, 6-4).
Here, the 38-year-old came back from a set down to beat Mariano Navone 6-7(2), 7-5, 7-5. He then faced Croatia's Duje Ajdukovic in the semifinals and lost the opening set. However, Nadal fought back hard and eventually went on to register a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 win to reach his first title clash of 2024.
Nuno Borges entered the Nordea Open after enduring a first-round exit at Wimbledon. This marked the fourth successive tourament where the Portuguese was ousted in the opening hurdle.
The World No. 51 started with a 6-2, 7-6(3) win over Andrea Pellegrino in the first round in Bastad before coming back from a set down to defeat compatriot Henrique Rocha 1-6, 6-4, 6-0 and reach the quarterfinals. Here, the 27-year-old faced Kazakhstan's Timofey Skatov and beat him 6-4, 6-3.
Borges faced Argentine Thiago Agustin Tirante in the semifinals and started well by winning the opening set 6-3. He broke Tirante's serve twice in the second set, and this was enough for him to register a 6-3, 6-4 win and reach the first ATP singles final of his career.
Rafael Nadal vs Nuno Borges head-to-head
The head-to-head between the two is currently tied at 0-0, as they haven't faced one another before on the ATP Tour.
Rafael Nadal vs Nuno Borges odds
Rafael Nadal vs Nuno Borges prediction
The Spaniard will enter the match as the favorite to win but Borges has produced a few promising performances so far on clay in 2024, reaching the fourth round at the Italian Open. So, he should not be written off.
Nadal served ten aces in his first two matches at the Nordea Open, and will be keen to fetch more free points in the final. Fitness has been a concern for the Spaniard in recent times, but he has played two successive three-setters, and has been on the court in Bastad for over six hours.
Not to forget, the Spaniard withdrew from his doubles semifinal, so he should be in decent enough shape before the singles final.
Nuno Borges has won nine out of 13 tour-level matches so far on clay in 2024, reaching the quarterfinals of the Estoril Open, besides his runs in Rome and recently, Bastad. The Portuguese may not have the tools to face someone of Nadal's quality on the surface but he will be high on confidence after reaching his maiden final.
Borges has done a pretty good job to get his far but the Spaniard's experience and resilience should see him go the distance and win his first title since the 2022 French Open.
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