Casper Ruud delighted to avenge Miami Open defeat in Monte Carlo

ATP Tour

James Richardson
April 12, 2023

World No 4 Casper Ruud cut a relieved figure after he pulled off a win in his opening match at the Monte Carlo Masters.

Ruud had been bracketed to face Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp in the Round of 32 just a few weeks after losing to him in Miami.

That loss came on a hard court, while Ruud has now strung together five straight wins on clay.

Ruud had to save one set point when he was 4-5 down in the second set on his own serve.

He also bounced back from the disappointment of failing to serve out the match while leading 6-5 in that same set and clinched a 7-5, 7-6(1) in the longest match of the day in Monte Carlo.

“It is never easy to start at a new tournament and against a player I have lost to before,” Casper Ruud said after the extended clash.

“Also more recently in Miami this year, which was a tough three-setter. I was a bit sloppy and didn’t take my chances. Sometimes it is a little tricky playing someone you recently lost to, like ‘Not again’, but in this case I was a bit happy because I felt like some unfinished business from the Miami match.”

Ruud was afforded a couple of days off after his run to the title in Estoril but he felt that might have worked against him as he felt a bit rusty when he got onto the Court Ranier III.

“It felt great last week in Estoril,” Ruud said. “It felt very comfortable. Today was at times a very good match, but at times a little rusty. There are a lot of positives to build on and I am very happy to be here in Monte-Carlo.”

For Ruud to become the second man on the ATP Tout to string together back-to-back title wins, he will need to win his first Masters titles in Monte Carlo this week.

Ruud was delighted to stave off any sort of sinking feeling or deja vu and get the win back.

“Sometimes it’s a little tricky if you play someone that you recently lost to like, ‘Oh no, not again,’ but in this case I was a bit happy because I felt like I had some sort of unfinished business from the Miami match.”

The fourth seed faces Jan-Lennard Struff in the Round of 16 with Ruud looking to notch his first win against the German in what will be their third match.

Casper Ruud