Waltzing onto the clay courts of Bastad dressed like fire and ice, with Casper Ruud draped in bright orange whilst Rafael Nadal sported a striking light blue number, this couple boasted the perfect blend of explosively and cool-headedness to seamlessly dispatch their opponents yesterday.
The first ever time these two had paired up in doubles, they took little time to acclimatise and raced into a lead which they would never relinquish.
Both played their part brilliantly, and it was really enjoyable to watch these colourful characters overcome Miguel Ángel Reyes-Varela and Guido Andreozzi.
Arguably the perfect start to his doubles preparation, it was clear to see that Rafael Nadal enjoyed every second of this match too, as did Ruud.
This became especially obvious in the post-match on-court interview…
Casper Ruud pokes fun at Rafa Nadal on court
A light-hearted affair in which the spotlight was unsurprisingly on the 38-year-old legend, the two victors went back and forth on the microphone, telling jokes and combing over the result.
And whilst Nadal would offer his congratulations to the Spanish football side at one stage, willing Sweden and Norway to one day thrive as his country did, Ruud would offer his own retort in the form of a reference to his age.
After all, with the many rain delays they had to suffer with, there were fears that the momentum gained might be hampered.
Well, the 25-year-old would quickly reveal that his fears were related to those awkward stoppages, but not in the way most would think.
He told the crowd: ‘He’s getting old. So I’m not sure how his body feels having to start & stop all the time!’
This drew laughter from all in attendance and Nadal, who stood beside him.
A perfect doubles partnership is formed?
It’s quite mesmeric just how quickly Ruud and Nadal gelled on court together, playing as if they had been doubles partners for years.
As a couple of clay-court specialists, they were always going to enjoy some joy on this surface in Bastad, but facing the number two seed, some form of resistance had to be expected.
However, it inexplicably never came, and after cruising into a 6-1 lead, after fighting through a few rain delays which prompted the aforementioned joke, they would finish things off by winning the second set 6-4.
Both seemed in phenomenal form, admittedly, coming into the net with intelligence to finish off points, whilst also more than happy to trade heavy blows at the baseline with their opposite man.
The shot-making on display was particularly phenomenal, with Nadal unsurprisingly shining with his patented left-handed scorchers.
Whether it be passing down the line or looping over his opponents with immeasurable spin, the Spaniard shone on his first appearance at Bastad in 19 years.
He will hope to translate this form into the singles draw, with his campaign kicking off there later today, and then later this summer where Nadal will play doubles with Carlos Alcaraz at the Olympics.
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