Nadal Falls to Nuno Borges in Nordea Open Final

Tennis - Nordea Open - Bastad, Sweden - July 21, 2024 Portugal's Nuno Borges poses with the trophy after winning his men's singles final alongside Spain's Rafael Nadal Bjorn Larsson Rosvall/TT News Agency via REUTERS
Tennis - Nordea Open - Bastad, Sweden - July 21, 2024 Portugal's Nuno Borges poses with the trophy after winning his men's singles final alongside Spain's Rafael Nadal Bjorn Larsson Rosvall/TT News Agency via REUTERS
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Nadal Falls to Nuno Borges in Nordea Open Final

Tennis - Nordea Open - Bastad, Sweden - July 21, 2024 Portugal's Nuno Borges poses with the trophy after winning his men's singles final alongside Spain's Rafael Nadal Bjorn Larsson Rosvall/TT News Agency via REUTERS
Tennis - Nordea Open - Bastad, Sweden - July 21, 2024 Portugal's Nuno Borges poses with the trophy after winning his men's singles final alongside Spain's Rafael Nadal Bjorn Larsson Rosvall/TT News Agency via REUTERS

Rafael Nadal's winning run at the clay-court Nordea Open ended Sunday when the Spaniard was beaten by Nuno Borges 6-3, 6-2 in the final on Sunday.
The seventh-seeded Portuguese player broke the Nadal serve five times on his way to a first ATP tour victory. It was Nadal's first final since the 2022 French Open.
“It’s crazy, in tennis it doesn’t happen when you expect it sometimes," said Borges. “I know we all wanted Rafa to win, a part of me wished that too, but something even bigger inside of me really pushed through today.”
Nadal was playing at the tournament in Sweden for the first time since he won the title as a 19-year-old in 2005 as he prepares for the Olympic tournament on clay at Roland Garros in Paris.
The 38-year-old Nadal skipped Wimbledon as he didn’t want to switch surface to grass and then back to clay and risk injury. He has been dealing with hip and abdominal injuries over the past 1 1/2 years.



Arsenal Closes the Gap on Liverpool after 1-0 Win against Chelsea in Premier League

Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Chelsea - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - March 16, 2025 Arsenal's Mikel Merino scores their first goal past Chelsea's Robert Sanchez. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Chelsea - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - March 16, 2025 Arsenal's Mikel Merino scores their first goal past Chelsea's Robert Sanchez. (Reuters)
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Arsenal Closes the Gap on Liverpool after 1-0 Win against Chelsea in Premier League

Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Chelsea - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - March 16, 2025 Arsenal's Mikel Merino scores their first goal past Chelsea's Robert Sanchez. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Chelsea - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - March 16, 2025 Arsenal's Mikel Merino scores their first goal past Chelsea's Robert Sanchez. (Reuters)

Mikel Merino led Arsenal to a 1-0 win against Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday.

Merino's first-half header settled the London derby at the Emirates Stadium and saw second-placed Arsenal move within 12 points of leader Liverpool.

In another all-London clash, Fulham beat Tottenham 2-0.

Arsenal's title hopes have faded in recent weeks, but it closed the gap on Liverpool, which was playing Newcastle in the English League Cup final later in the day.

Merino rose in the 20th minute to flick Martin Odegaard's near post corner beyond Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. It was enough to secure a first league win for Mikel Arteta's team since February 15.

Defeat for fourth-placed Chelsea means it missed the chance to extend its one-point lead over Manchester City in fifth and boost its chance of qualifying for the Champions League next season.

Arsenal, on 58 points, is 10 clear of four time defending champion City.

Spurs blow

Another setback for Tottenham is likely to increase the pressure on coach Ange Postecoglou heading into the international break.

Spurs, in 14th, have only won one of their last five in all competitions and this was a 15th league defeat of the season.

Rodrigo Muniz gave Fulham the lead in the 78th at Craven Cottage and Ryan Sessegnon doubled the home team's lead 10 minutes later.

Fulham is eighth and four points behind Chelsea in the race for a Champions League place.