Nadal: "I haven't competed much, so matches and victories like today's help"

Mónica Barberán Munera | 18 Jul 2024 | 18.04

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Rafa Nadal will step into the quarterfinals for the first time this year, doing so at the ATP in Bastad after defeating one of the toughest opponents in the draw: Cameron Norrie. Thus, the Mallorcan continues to accumulate time and matches on clay, his main focus in preparation for the upcoming Juegos Olímpicos de París which are just around the corner. Following this great victory where he showed improving sensations, Nadal talked about how he feels after being away from competition for a while. Additionally, he revealed what went through his mind when Norrie seemed to have taken control of the second set of that round of 16 match. What does he think of Mariano Navone, his next opponent?

- Pleased with his level

"Great feelings. It's been a while since I played on the circuit, since Roland Garros, and having the opportunity to compete well against a great player like Cameron is a fantastic sensation. I think at some moments I played good tennis, at other moments I need to play a bit more aggressively, but that's part of today's journey. I haven't competed much, so matches and victories like today's help. Maintaining the rhythm throughout the match and keeping the pressure on the opponent throughout the encounter is something I need to improve, as I haven't been playing enough."

- What was going through your mind in the second set that you had to come back from?

“I feel that somehow at the beginning of the match he was a bit better than me because he was holding his serves quite easily and I struggled a bit more with my serve, but I was the one who got the break. And then, at the beginning of the second set, I was playing better than him, had break points and had more control, but I played a bad game and he played a very good one and broke me. So I told myself: 'okay, it's 1-4, but it could also be 4-1 for me, so I have to keep doing what I'm doing.' I probably played a bit more aggressively with my backhand and I think towards the end of the match it worked a bit better. That made the difference. I'm quite happy with my forehand and also with the serve”.

- About Navone, his upcoming challenge

“He is a player who is performing very well this year, winning many matches, especially on clay. So I focus on continuing to improve every day, trying to play a little better each day. I know it will be a tough match, but I really hope to play good tennis and give myself opportunities. These are the quarterfinals of a historic event on the circuit like Bastad. You can't expect an easy opponent”.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Nadal: "No he competido mucho, así que partidos y victorias como la de hoy ayudan"

ATP