Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud narrowly escaped elimination in the decisive set tie-break of the doubles event in Bastad on Wednesday, following Ruud's earlier exit from the singles competition. The duo edged past France's Theo Arribage and Russia's Roman Safiullin with a score of 6-4, 3-6, 12/10, securing their place in the semifinals by winning the last three points after facing potential defeat.
"I believe we had a great time. The match was intense towards the end, showcasing high-quality tennis against formidable opponents," Nadal remarked, who is also participating in the singles tournament. "We relish the experience, the audience was incredible. A packed house for a doubles match is truly remarkable. We are savoring each moment here."
As Nadal and Ruud await their semifinal adversaries, the Spaniard is set to resume his singles campaign on Thursday against Britain's Cameron Norrie in the round of 16. This marks Nadal's first appearance since his premature exit from the French Open earlier this year. He aims to prevent a similar outcome as Ruud, whose Olympic readiness was compromised by a 6-3, 6-3 loss to Thiago Monteiro in the second round earlier on Wednesday. Ruud, a twice French Open finalist, was the runner-up in Sweden last year and claimed the title in 2021.
