Casper Ruud displayed incredible grit and determination on Friday night at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, defeating Andrey Rublev 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to secure his place in the semifinals for the third time in four years. With this victory, Ruud moves forward to face world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in a much-anticipated Saturday night clash.
The Norwegian, needing only one set to qualify after Alexander Zverev’s earlier win over Carlos Alcaraz, didn’t settle for the minimum. Instead, he delivered a decisive third-set performance to finish the round-robin stage with a 2-1 record. This week has marked a remarkable return to form for Ruud, who arrived in Turin on the back of a four-match losing streak but managed to defeat both Rublev and Alcaraz along the way.
“Tennis is unpredictable sometimes,” Ruud remarked after his win. “My serve has been my weapon this week. Playing against the best pushes you to your limits, and I knew I had to bring my A-game.”
In a match lasting one hour and 45 minutes, Ruud fired 34 winners, leveraging his pinpoint serving to dominate baseline rallies. His win also improves his ATP Head2Head record against Rublev to 3-5.
Ruud will now face Jannik Sinner, the No. 1 in the ATP Rankings, who has been flawless in Turin, winning all his group-stage matches without dropping a set. Despite trailing 0-2 in their past encounters, Ruud remains optimistic. “Sinner is playing at home and has been unbeatable, but I’ll give it my all,” he said.
As tennis fans eagerly await the semifinals, Ruud’s resurgence and Sinner’s dominance set the stage for a thrilling showdown. Meanwhile, Zverev and Taylor Fritz will clash in the second semifinal match.
Ruud’s journey underscores why tennis results can never be taken for granted—form, resilience, and strategy can redefine expectations in a heartbeat.
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