After getting broken early in the match, fourth seed Ruud found himself trailing 0-3 in the first set before changing gears and winning it 7-5. However, Poland’s Hurkacz fought back from a set and a break down to win the match and set up a final meeting with Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta.
Norwegian Ruud was looking to reach a Masters final for the second time in his career. Earlier this year, he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets in the Miami Open title clash. The 23-year-old has nine ATP singles titles to his name so far, eight on clay and one on hard surface.
In a press conference after the match, he was asked whether he feels like becoming one of the greatest hard-court players in the world. Unimpressed with the question, Ruud used Rafael Nadal’s example and stated that the media is often too quick to label a player as a one-surface specialist.
Ruud, who has won three titles this season, was a finalist at the 2022 French Open. Nadal outclassed him 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 to win his record-extending 14th Roland Garros title.
Casper Ruud joins Team Europe for Laver Cup
The fifth edition of the Laver Cup is scheduled to be held from September 23-25 at the O2 Arena in London. Coached by Bjorn Borg, the first four members of Team Europe were the ‘Big 4’ of tennis — Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, and Novak Djokovic. The remaining two spots were occupied by Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud.
Ruud expressed his excitement at playing the event for the second time after last year’s edition in Boston.
0 votes
