By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday April 5, 2023
Casper Ruud kicked off his clay-court season with a rally from a set down on Wednesday in Portugal.
Photo Source: TTV
Finishing the Sunshine Double with a 5-6 record across the first three months of the season, Norway’s Casper Ruud is hoping that a change in scenery will kickstart a run of better play. The World No.5, always a threat on the red clay, is back in Europe this week and hoping to turn his season around at the Estoril Open.
The 24-year-old took the first step on Wednesday by rallying for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory over 2018 champion and hometown Favorite Joao Sousa to reach the quarterfinals.
Ruud notches his 100th win on his best surface, against 37 losses.
"I am just happy to get the win today," Ruud said on court after the match. "It was not looking very good after the first set, but I managed to step up and play better and better throughout the match and I think that is a good sign going into the next match.”
Ruud had nothing but praise for Sousa, the first man from Portugal to win the title at the Estoril Open in 2018.
"Joao is such a nice guy," Ruud said, after improving to 4-0 lifetime against the 34-year-old Portuguese. "I have mixed feelings, winning against him here in Estoril. I know he is a home-crowd favourite. He is a great example of a [great] fighter. He has come from a country with not much tennis history and he really has had an influence on this tournament and the fans here. He’s a great guy and it’s always a tough match against him.”
Ruud, making his Estoril Open debut, will face Argentina’s Sebastian Baez next. The defending champion improved to 7-0 lifetime at the event by notching a 6-4, 7-6(2) win over campatriot Pedro Cachin.
"It will be a tough one against Baez,” Ruud said. “We have never played against each other. He is a young player. I saw him more and more the last years. He is developing well. He is a great player and won his first title here last year. He is a player to watch out for and I am going to have to be on top of my game and play my best in order to have a chance to win.”