Rafael Nadal is clear for the quarterfinals in the singles tournament in Båstad.
The 22-time Grand Slam winner knocked out Briton Cameron Norrie in straight sets.
Wins like this one help me get back into the rhythm, says Nadal after the win.
Rafael Nadal continues to impress in Båstad.
After knocking out Leo Borg in the first round, the 38-year-old was pitted against, on paper, tougher opposition in 42nd-ranked Cameron Norrie. But even he would fall victim to Nadal's clay court brilliance.
Nadal took home the first set with 6–4, but seemed to lose the second set. Norrie went up to a 4–1 lead, but then Nadal stepped on the gas again. The Spaniard came back and won in the end with the scores 6–4, 6–4.
I think I played very well at times, but other times I need to be more aggressive. But that's part of the journey. I haven't competed much lately, so matches and wins like this one help me get back into the rhythm, says Nadal in TV4 Play after the match.
A little earlier, however, the Spaniard was on the verge of eliminating himself from the tournament.
When Nadal was about to stretch for a ball, he fell forward and hit his elbow. After some medical attention to a bleeding wound, the Spaniard was back on the court and could advance to the quarterfinals. There, Nadal will face the 36th-ranked and fourth-seeded Argentine Mariano Navone.
The quarterfinals will be played on Friday.
