Nuno Borges, the number one Portuguese player and (currently) 51st in the ATP rankings, made history by reaching the semi-finals of an ATP main circuit tournament for the first time, at the ATP 250 in Bastad, Sweden, becoming the sixth Portuguese player to reach this stage. João Sousa, in Geneva 2022, was the last to achieve this over two years ago.
In the quarter-finals of this prestigious Nordic event, Borges defeated Kazakh Timofey Skatov, ranked 223rd in the world and who was having one of the best weeks of his life, by 6-4 and 6-3, in a match lasting 1h32 that he controlled relatively comfortably.
“I am very happy! To be honest, I was nervous. I knew I had a big challenge ahead and a lot at stake. My first ATP semi-final and I am very proud of how I handled the pressure,” he confessed at the end.
In the semi-finals this Saturday (at 14:00), Borges is set to meet Argentine Thiago Tirante, 121st in the ATP rankings, who won their only matchup in 2023. In the other semi-final… Rafael Nadal, 14-time Roland Garros champion, faces Croatian Duje Ajdukovic in the first semi-final (12:00). Yesterday, Nadal won one of the longest best-of-three sets matches in tennis history, overcoming Argentine Mariano Navone (36th) by 6-7(2), 7-5, and 7-5… in four hours.
By José Morgado