Rafa Nadal played his last final in Madrid Open in 2017, when he caught his fifth title in the tournament. Eight years later, with the Balearic already retired, his style, his school, a kind of his reincarnation on land, will step on the game for the title in the Magic Box. Casper Ruud26 years old and 15th of the world ranking, it surpassed Francisco Cerúando, 26 and 21st, 6-4 and 7-5 in 1h54 to get into the final of the 1,000 Masters Madridwhich will play on Sunday against the winner of the duel between Jack Draper and Lorenzo Musetti tonight (20:00, M+ and TDP). The Norwegian, with a tennis that reminded that of his idol and Spanish friend about brick dust, has not yet yielded a single set in the edition, and this Friday he was able to disable the Argentine, who was going through a sweet moment.
With a very heavy ball, especially with the right, and an Aguerrida defense, Ruud, a student of the Rafa Nadal Academy Manacorí since 2018, a very ‘Nadalian’ semifinal. He was closing it, for the second time in his life in the penultimate round of a 1,000 masters, who proposed more and threw himself into the attack, but 27 non -forced errors, many of them at key points, tied the Buenos Aires, than With a triumph would have surpassed Carlos Alcaraz and Alex de Miñaur and would have placed himself as the solo tennis player with more victories in this season (The three carry 24). Ruud, on the other hand, now aspires to conquer the first 1,000 masters of his career, and the triumph of this Friday guarantees to return to the world top-10 next Monday.
It is only the second 1,000 masters final on land that will play Oslo (lost last year in Montecarlo to Tsitsipas), and the third in general in the gold category of the ATP (also fell in Miami 2022 against Alcaraz). RUUD, since 2020, is the main dominator of the circuit in whipped land: No one adds more victories (124), more final (17) and more titles (11) than he, who has only played seven duels for the title on other surfaces. It is, in fact, the first tennis player born in the 90s who will play a 1,000 masters final this year: Alcaraz, Draper, Mesik, Musetti and Rune were born in the 2000s, and Djokovic in the 80s.
Ruud overcame some back problems that, with only three semifinal games, forced the presence of the physio to serve the Nordic, and immediately received a break. “I wasn’t sure I could finish the game. I felt something in the ribs during training. Just a few moments before leaving. It bothered me in every shot, especially in the serve. I had a fast treatment, because much could not be done in three minutes, of course I will look better now. I took a couple of aspirins, which is not ideal. In such a situation, I was able to try to match the game, and I felt better until the game was done. I hope it’s nothing very bad. It is something that bothers you in such a game. It was not the ideal beginning, but I managed to stand firm and play a good tennis when I had to do it, ”Ruud analyzed, which immediately returned the break and, breaking in the last game of the first set, took the lead.
He also started by closing it in the second manga, but again the advantage lasted a blink and close with an eye. He lacked the Argentine success, who still does not reach a 1,000 Masters final. Ruud waited patiently and the mistakes of his rival were arriving. He barely needed 17 winners the Norwegian to alleviate the 28 who connected the Argentine, who again in the second set failed when he took to force in the Tie-Break. “In the circuit you have to suffer every week, with minor pain, fatigue or stress. But I love what I do and that makes me follow and maintain motivation every day. They are things, and I am sorry to say, that fans do not know, because they do not have all the information. Something that you stay for you, especially when you arrive with some pain that you have to handle, which is probably more than they have heard, ”said the finalist in Madrid.
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