2024 Swedish Open ATP 250 R16 matchup - Rafael Nadal (SPN) v/s [5] Cameron Norrie (GB)

[Hitman]

15-0

 

[Hitman]

30-0

 

[Hitman]

40-0

 

[Palindrome]

Vamos!

 

[Hitman]

Nadal wins.

With an ace!

 

[Carax]

A stress-free service game to close out the match. Just what the doctor ordered.

 

[Djokovic_is_the_best#1]

Nadal with a statement win! Life in the old dog yet! A big win for Rafa’s confidence going forward.

 

[speedysteve]

Rafa in de house

 

[ghostofMecir]

Nadalito put back on the Superman cape for the first time since he’s been back. That was vintage Clay God. Wow.

 

[WarriorRafa]

That was a pleasantly surprising end to the match. Was preparing for a 3rd set but Rafa finished it quick. Just in time for dinner

 

[clayqueen]

Wow! Rafa beat Norrie in straight sets!

 

[tennisjedi]

What a 2nd set comeback from Nadal.

He plays Navone next. I still wish for the day a Nadal-Nagal match happens.

 

[Rafa the King]

Good performance. Very happy with Rafa today. Hopefully he keeps improving.

 

[Rafa4GOAT]

Nice win, pleasant surprise. Seemed like a script writer told Norrie that he wasn't supposed to win the match when he went up 4-1 and he just faded away while Rafa played slightly better.

 

[MichaelNadal]

 

[speedysteve]

When you are Rafa you have a bag carrier you can instruct

 

[clayqueen]

This match was my benchmark in this tournament. I thought if Rafa beat someone like Norrie at this stage of his Comeback then he is back.

 

[jl809]

Beating AdM AND Norrie within the past few months? Oh Olddal

If you can get Zverev or Loserpas at the Olympics, your work would be complete

 

[Hitman]

Nadal, should he win this title on Sunday will be one title behind Lendl in career titles won.

 

[Nappa]

Ladies and gentlemen, Rafael Nadal.

 

[clayqueen]

Nadal, should he win this title on Sunday will be one title behind Lendl in career titles won.

I think Rafa is beyond chasing Lendl's number of titles won. Nice of you to think of that though.

 

[TennisFan3]

Nadal with a statement win! Life in the old dog yet! A big win for Rafa’s confidence going forward.

Don't know how much life based on beating Norrie in a ATP 250.
Nadal is playing well for a player who is 38. But he is not playing well based on his own lofty standards.
There is surely room for improvement. Still, with his diminished movement - it's hard to see a path back to Tier A unless he significantly ups his hitting power plus serve speed.

 

[Tano]

A nice 6-4 6-4 against God Norrie would be good.

It was.

 

[Rattie]

Really good to see Rafa playing much better than I expected. 22 winners to only 7 UEs and his first serve was holding up well. Considering he’s had so little match play, this was a good showing. Vamos Rafa

 

[Tano]

Nadal wins.

With an ace!

As in the RG 2020 final against Djokovic, the Spaniard does it with style.

 

[Hitman]

As in the RG 2020 final against Djokovic, the Spaniard does it with style.

Well, sure.

 

[octobrina10]

It's come to this. We are "hoping" for Nadal to win a ATP 250.
Time was when he was pencilled to win Roland Garros every year and he never even played a ATP 250.

You are wrong, as usual, Djokofan. Rafa has played in 15+ ATP 250-level tournaments and won 10 of them, including the 2005 Swedish Open (its official name is the Nordea Open).

 

[TennisFan3]

You are wrong, as usual, Djokofan. Rafa has played in 15+ ATP 250-level tournaments and won 10 of them, including the 2005 Swedish Open (its official name is the Nordea Open).

You don't read properly. I was referring to those years when Nadal used to play and win RG and didn't play any clay 250.
I can understand the lack of comprehension because you call me Djokofan..lol

 

[octobrina10]

The official highlights:

 

[Rafa the King]

Don't know how much life based on beating Norrie in a ATP 250.
Nadal is playing well for a player who is 38. But he is not playing well based on his own lofty standards.
There is surely room for improvement. Still, with his diminished movement - it's hard to see a path back to Tier A unless he significantly ups his hitting power plus serve speed.

If this is where his level is going to be at the Olympics, he has no shot to win it. However, the improvement from R1 to R2 was substantial and the hope is that if he keeps improving his tennis and gains more and more confidence, he can reach a level with which he has a shot to win the Olympics A kind draw where he avoids the world’s best (only 3-4 players) in the first 2 rounds is important too.

 

[octobrina10]

You don't read properly. I was referring to those years when Nadal used to play and win RG and didn't play any clay 250.
I can understand the lack of comprehension because you call me Djokofan..lol

There haven't been Olympic Games on clay before. Rafa is preparing for the Olympics at the Swedish/Nordea Open.

 

[Deleted member 810491]

If this is where his level is going to be at the Olympics, he has no shot to win it. However, the improvement from R1 to R2 was substantial and the hope is that if he keeps improving his tennis and gains more and more confidence, he can reach a level with which he has a shot to win the Olympics A kind draw where he avoids the world’s best (only 3-4 players) in the first 2 rounds is important too.

Well, we know better than to judge Nadal's Roland Garros level by non-RG performances, like 2020 when he lost to Diego in straight sets at Rome and then didn't drop a set at Roland Garros, and obviously 2022 when he won nothing on clay before beating THREE Top 10 players at Roland Garros...
Oh and this year he beat De Minaur at Madrid, and broke Zverev's serve in the 2nd and 3rd Sets at RG, so his level on clay has been very good but he lacked the confidence which he's now rebuilding.
No surprise to see Nadal win a couple of Gold medals this year and next year's French Open etc.

 

[Hitman]

There haven't been Olympic Games on clay before. Rafa is preparing for the Olympics at the Swedish/Nordea Open.

False

Barcelona 1992.

Nadal hasn't played Olympics on clay before is the accurate statement.

 

[bluetrain4]

That was fun. I miss Rafa. Looked like he moved pretty well today. Is he playing singles or only doubles at the Olympics?

 

[mightyjeditribble]

What a 2nd set comeback from Nadal.

He plays Navone next. I still wish for the day a Nadal-Nagal match happens.

We live in hope

 

[Rattie]

That was fun. I miss Rafa. Looked like he moved pretty well today. Is he playing singles or only doubles at the Olympics?

He’s playing both.

 

[Pheasant]

Congrats to Rafa for a nice win. Hopefully, he can keep improving.

 

[Tallawah Tennis]

Rafa enjoying it, through in straights.

 

[Nostradamus]

Nadal just destroyed one of the best clay court player in the world, Norrie. Does this mean if Rafa had the better draw, and not played Zeverev in the french open 1st round, Rafa would have at least reached the Semifinal there ??

 

[buscemi]

Nadal just destroyed one of the best clay court player in the world, Norrie. Does this mean if Rafa had the better draw, and not played Zeverev in the french open 1st round, Rafa would have at least reached the Semifinal there ??

Nadal split matches with de Minaur, losing the first one in Barcelona and then winning the next one in Madrid. de Minaur then made the French Open QF, himself losing to Zverev, 6-4, 7-6, 6-4. So, I think it's reasonable to say that Nadal could have made the QF with the right draw. Beyond that, looking at the semifinalists, Nadal obviously lost to Zverev, and I don't see him beating Alcaraz or Sinner. The other semifinalist was Ruud, who made the SF after Djokovic withdrew before their QF match.

 

[Nostradamus]

Nadal split matches with de Minaur, losing the first one in Barcelona and then winning the next one in Madrid. de Minaur then made the French Open QF, himself losing to Zverev, 6-4, 7-6, 6-4. So, I think it's reasonable to say that Nadal could have made the QF with the right draw. Beyond that, looking at the semifinalists, Nadal obviously lost to Zverev, and I don't see him beating Alcaraz or Sinner. The other semifinalist was Ruud, who made the SF after Djokovic withdrew before their QF match.

why did Frenchees give rafa such a bad draw ? he's god to them, 14 french open wins. are they just sore that spanierd took over their tournament ?

 

[flyingboris]

Watching this on TC I can imagine the world moving to an AI commentary overlay in the future. So much more data analysis is possible.

We might be basically there. They're already reading their stats off a screen anyway.

 

[paolo2143]

Well, we know better than to judge Nadal's Roland Garros level by non-RG performances, like 2020 when he lost to Diego in straight sets at Rome and then didn't drop a set at Roland Garros, and obviously 2022 when he won nothing on clay before beating THREE Top 10 players at Roland Garros...
Oh and this year he beat De Minaur at Madrid, and broke Zverev's serve in the 2nd and 3rd Sets at RG, so his level on clay has been very good but he lacked the confidence which he's now rebuilding.
No surprise to see Nadal win a couple of Gold medals this year and next year's French Open etc.

Would be a massive surprise. He has more shot of winning Olympic medal than lifting RG next year though as he will be another year slower & speed & reactions going downhill fast.