Rafael Nadal returns to the ATP in Bastad almost two decades later. His last tournament played here was in 2005where he lifted the title by defeating ‘Tommy’ Robredo in straight sets (6-3, 6-3) in the final.
This Monday, 19 years latermake his ‘debut’ again with success Casper Ruud in the doubles tournament against Guido Andreozzi and Miguel Ángel Reyes-Varela (6-1, 6-4).
“Good afternoon. It’s a pleasure to play here with a good friend and an amazing player like Casper. It was a good fight. We played well for the first time together. I am happy to be back here after almost 20 years.”
“This is a good thing for me. I have fond memories of this place from 2003, 2004 and 2005. “I’m enjoying this week and I hope to continue.”
Nadal also spoke about the victory of Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon and the victory of the Spanish National Team at the Euro Cup: “I think The Spanish team played incredible from the first day of the Euro Cup to the last. The whole country is proud. Yesterday was also a very happy day when Carlos won Wimbledon. It was an incredible day for Spanish sport. Sports bring motivation and passion to people. That is good for the country without a doubt. I hope to see Norway in the next important competitions”, he concluded ‘laughing’ at the Norwegian.
Casper Ruud, asked about the delay of the match due to rain, wanted to bring it back to the Spaniard: “growing old. So I’m not sure how your body feels having to start and stop all the time”, then he laughed.
If the rain holds off, Nadal will play again tomorrow, Tuesday, in the individual tournament against Leo Borg, son of the great Björn Borg, in the first round of the ATP 250 in Bastad.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
