Ruud Advances to Face Fritz in Madrid Open

Casper Ruud secured his spot in the Last 16 of the Madrid Open, triumphing over American Sebastian Korda with a 6-3, 6-3 victory on Monday at the Caja Magica.

The Norwegian tennis star initiated the match with considerable force, establishing an early 3-0 advantage in the first set. Korda, however, countered to equalize at 3-3. Undeterred, Ruud then clinched the set by claiming the subsequent three games.

The second set mirrored the first, reaching a 3-3 stalemate. Ultimately, Ruud sealed the match by concluding the second set with a decisive forehand.

This victory holds historical significance for Ruud. Twenty-six years prior, their fathers, Christian Ruud and Petr Korda, competed against each other at the Miami Open in 1999. In that encounter, Ruud’s father prevailed with a score of 6-2, 7-6. This information surprised the current world number 15.

“I honestly believed he had previously lost to Petr, so I came prepared to avenge my family, but this statistic is even more remarkable for us,” Ruud commented.

“We will strive to prolong this as much as we can. It’s intriguing to observe instances where fathers and sons have both competed and excelled.

“I anticipate that Sebi and I will face each other many more times throughout our careers, and I will do my utmost to stay ahead of him. However, I am confident that he will eventually surpass or achieve a victory over the Ruud family.”

In the next round, Ruud is set to compete against American Taylor Fritz. Fritz progressed after defeating Benjamin Bonzi, who was hampered by an injury, in the Round of 32.