Nordea Open ATP: Andrey Rublev and Luciano Darderi will be clashing in the final of the Nordea Open ATP 250 series event after both bounced back from second-set setbacks in their respective semifinals on Saturday to set a title showdown between two former champions in Bastad.
Top seed Rublev defeated Alejandro Tabilo 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to reach his second Bastad final, while defending champion Darderi outlasted Adolfo Daniel Vallejo 6-4, 6-7(11), 6-3 in a gripping two-hour, 57-minute battle. Rublev, the 2023 champion at the Swedish ATP 250 clay court event, leads Darderi 1-0 in the pair's ATP head-to-head series heading into Sunday's final.
“I feel great. I feel happy to be back in the final here in Bastad,” said Rublev, who is into his 30th tour-level final. “It’s tough to describe the emotions now. I just feel grateful for another opportunity to play in the final here. He’s [Darderi] a great player. He’s playing better and better. It’s not going to be easy, for sure,” he was quoted as saying by the ATP Tour on its official website.
