Casper Ruud Vs Francisco Cerundolo Match Report, Madrid Open: Norwegian Eases Into Final

Casper Ruud booked his place in the Madrid Open final on Friday with a straight-sets victory over Francisco Cerundolo. (More Tennis News)

Ruud coped well against Cerundolo's pressure and guaranteed a swift move back into the top 10 with his 6-4 7-5 victory in just under two hours.

The Norwegian faced 18 break points throughout the match, including four in the opening game, all of which he defended, as Cerundolo instantly put him under pressure.

Cerundolo drew first blood to take a 3-2 lead, but Ruud fought back and regained the advantage바카라 웹사이트on his second set-point attempt.

Again, the Argentine found the edge in the second set, getting a break in the third game, but Ruud refused to back down.

After clawing back, the 14th seed was then forced to defend seven break points in a marathon 14-minute game to hold his serve.

Another trade in breaks saw Cerundolo instantly lose his lead바카라 웹사이트before Ruud finally found his edge again in the final game, holding off his opponent to prevent a tie-break.

He will face either Jack Draper or Lorenzo Musetti in Sunday's showpiece in what will be his third final at an ATP Masters 1000 event.

Data Debrief: Ruud digs in deep

Ruud was on a two-match losing streak against Cerundolo prior to this game, but he had the measure of his opponent바카라 웹사이트in Madrid.

It means that he has the chance to fight for his first ATP Masters 1000 title, having failed to clinch the trophy in his previous two attempts (Miami 2022, Monte-Carlo 2024).

Overall, it is바카라 웹사이트Ruud's 18th ATP-level final on clay - among currently active players, only Novak Djokovic (34) has reached more on the surface.

And he had to do it the hard way as he saved 15 of the 18 break points he faced (83%), while converting five of the nine he made.