Norwegian tennis player Casper Ruud, world No. 7, won the ATP-250 clay court tournament in Geneva, Switzerland. Today, May 25, he defeated Czech Tomas Machac, ranked No. 44 in the ATP rankings, in straight sets with a score of 7-5, 6-3.
The players stayed on the court for 1 hour and 47 minutes. The Norwegian converted 3 of his 4 break points (75%), did not commit a single double fault and hit two aces. The Czech player committed three double faults, hit three aces and managed to convert 1 of his 1 break points (100%).
Earlier, in the semi-finals of the tournament, Machac proved stronger than world number one, Serbian Novak Djokovic (6-4, 0-6, 6-1), while Ruud managed to save a match point in his match against Italian Luca Cobolli.
For Ruud, this title in Geneva is the third of his career. The 24-year-old has firmly established himself as one of the best clay-court players on the ATP Tour in recent seasons. This latest triumph will only boost his confidence heading into Roland-Français, where he will be among the favourites to challenge for the title.
“Winning a tournament like this, especially with the calibre of players I had to beat, gives me a lot of momentum and confidence going into Roland Garros,” Ruud said. “I’m playing my best tennis on clay right now, and I’m looking forward to seeing how far I can go at Roland Garros.”
Ruud has reached the quarterfinals at the French Open in each of the last two years, and many believe this could finally be the season he could finally win his first Grand Slam title. With his combination of power, movement and tactics on clay, he has all the tools to triumph in Paris.
However, the Norwegian is keeping his feet on the ground, knowing that the Roland-Français court is full of clay specialists eager to win the prestigious title. "I'm not taking anything for granted. There are so many great players who will be competing for the trophy. I'll have to bring my absolute best tennis if I want to have a chance of winning it all.
With his confidence soaring after the Geneva triumph, Ruud will undoubtedly be a popular choice among tennis fans and pundits as a potential champion at Roland Garros in the coming weeks.
