Rafael Nadal reached his first final since winning the 2022 French Open, defeating Croatian qualifier Duje Ajdukovic in a three-set tussle in Bastad on Saturday.

A day after his four-hour quarter-final victory, the 22-time Grand Slam champion was again tested to the limit by Ajdukovic, the world number 130 who had won just two tour-level matches before this week.

The Spaniard rebounded from dropping the opening set to prevail 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, returning to the final of a tournament he won as a teenager in 2005.

Nadal will play Portuguese seventh seed Nuno Borges or Argentina's Thiago Agustin Tirante on Sunday as he goes in search of the 93rd singles title of his career.

His most recent triumph came two years ago at Roland Garros, when he won the tournament for a record-extending 14th time.

Nadal is using the event in Bastad as a tune-up for the Paris Olympics, where the tennis will be played on the clay at Roland Garros.

The 38-year-old returned to action this week for the first time since losing in the first round of the French Open in late May. (AFP)