Rafael Nadal confirmed his withdrawal from the doubles competition at the Swedish Open just minutes after reaching the singles final with victory over Duje Ajdukovic. The Spaniard battled back from a set down to reach the final in Bastad, where he will face either Thiago Agustin Tirante or Nuno Borges.
Nadal got off to a slow start, dropping the opening set as Ajdukovic came flying out of the blocks to draw first blood. He went on to find his feet in the second set before holding his nerve in the third to seal a 4-6 6-3 6-4 triumph.
In his post-match press conference, Nadal confirmed that he would no longer be taking part in the doubles event alongside Casper Ruud. They were due to face Orlando Luz and Rafael Matos in the semi-finals on Saturday afternoon but Nadal has decided to save his energy for the singles final.
The 38-year-old played more than six hours of tennis across Friday and Saturday, with his quarter-final victory over Mariano Navone also going the distance. He will be desperate to finish his Swedish Open campaign by lifting the trophy as he seeks his first ATP title since winning the French Open two years ago.
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