MADRID — With the assistance of painkillers, Casper Ruud overcame a rib ailment to defeat Francisco Cerundolo in straight units and attain the Madrid Open closing on Friday.
Ruud will face Jack Draper, who beat Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 7-6 (4) within the different semifinal to make his third closing of the yr.
Ruud acquired remedy on his rib three video games into the match and went on to win 6-4, 7-5 on the Caja Magica heart court docket.
The Fifteenth-ranked Norwegian saved 15 of the 18 break factors he confronted in opposition to the Twenty first-ranked Argentine.
Ruud mentioned he felt one thing in his rib throughout the warmup, simply earlier than going out on the court docket. He mentioned he “felt it in practically each shot, particularly the serve.”
“I wasn’t positive I used to be going to have the ability to end the match, truthfully,” Ruud mentioned. “I acquired a few painkillers, which isn’t the best factor, however on the identical time in a scenario like this, it’s important to do this at times. It was easing and getting higher because the match went on.”
A former world No. 2, Ruud will return to the highest 10 because of his marketing campaign in Madrid. He might attain No. 6 within the rankings with a win within the closing.
Ruud – a 12-time tour champion – would additionally develop into the primary Norwegian to carry an ATP 1000 trophy for the reason that collection was launched in 1990, in keeping with the ATP.
Ruud had misplaced two matches in a row in opposition to Cerundolo, who knocked out top-seeded Alexander Zverev earlier.
Crimson-hot Draper
The sixth-ranked Draper improved his document in opposition to Eleventh-ranked Musetti to 4-0.
Draper gained at Indian Wells in March. After his quarterfinal victory in Madrid, he secured a top-five debut within the rankings.
“I felt like each of us, our high quality did not actually drop from the primary ball,” Draper mentioned. “Credit score to Lorenzo, he is clearly enjoying so good on the clay. I performed him on arduous, and on grass once we have been juniors, rising up with him. However on clay, he is a unique beast, so to get this win on this court docket on this stage, semifinals, it means a lot to me.”
Coco Gauff and top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka will meet within the ladies’s closing on Saturday.