Ruud and Nadal Salvage Bastad Day with Doubles Win After Singles Setback

Casper Ruud's return to clay in singles at the Nordea Open in Bastad did not go as planned, as he suffered a 6-3, 6-3 defeat to Thiago Monteiro. However, the Norwegian salvaged the day by teaming up with Rafael Nadal for a thrilling doubles victory.

Monteiro, a left-handed Brazilian, unleashed 24 forehand winners to overpower Ruud, who has won 11 clay-court titles, including two this season. The defeat marked Monteiro's second Top 10 victory of the year, having previously eliminated Stefanos Tsitsipas in Madrid.

Despite the singles setback, Ruud and Nadal joined forces to defeat Theo Arribage and Roman Safiullin 6-4, 3-6, [12-10] in a match that featured a saved match point at 9-10. The duo, dubbed "Team Ruudal," had previously ousted the second seeds in their debut.

"It was not the best beginning of the day, but very nice way to finish the day for me winning alongside Rafa," Ruud said after the match.

Nadal, who will face Cameron Norrie in the second round of singles on Thursday, praised Ruud's performance. "Not easy to be on court after losing singles. Casper played so well this afternoon, so well done for him," said the 22-time Grand Slam champion.

When asked about the "Ruudal" nickname, Nadal initially expressed confusion before Ruud clarified. "I have Fedal and now Ruudal, so both!" laughed Nadal.

Ruud also commented on Carlos Alcaraz's recent Wimbledon triumph. "He's busy probably partying after winning Wimbledon. He has all the rights to enjoy. If he wants, I'm available on the phone," said Ruud.

Tags: #CasperRuud, #RafaelNadal, #NordeaOpen, #ThiagoMonteiro, #TeamRuudal