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By Alberto Amalfi | Saturday, February 29, 2020

 
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Casper Ruud sustained his South American surge stopping Albert Ramos Vinolas 7-6(5), 6-2 to reach his second final of the season on the red clay of Santiago.

Photo credit: @chile_open

Casper Ruud knocked off a nemesis to sustain his South American surge.

Riding his topspin forehand and precise combinations, Ruud deconstructed Albert Ramos-Vinolas 7-6(5), 6-2 to reach his second final of the season on the red clay of Santiago. He will face 19-year-old Thiago Seyboth Wild of Brazil in the final.

Seyboth Wild, a wild card ranked 182, powered past Renzo Olivo 6-1 6-3 to become the youngest player from Brazil to ever reach an ATP final.

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It is Ruud's first win over the 32-year-old Spaniard in four meetings. Ramos-Vinolas had swept all seven sets the pair played at the Tour-level. 



Empowered by his run to his first career title in Buenos Aires this month, Ruud worked every corner of the court securing a spot in his second final in his last three tournaments.

"I feel very good," Ruud said. "I feel good. Santiago is the last tournament of this South American swing. I enjoy coming to South America so much.

"It's been a very special place for me really where last year I broke into the Top 100. Now I'm playing two finals. It's been a very solid trip for me and this is very nice to end the swing here in Santiago... I think the fans here are great, the conditions are good so I'm looking forward to tomorrow."

Serving at 4-5, Ramos-Vinolas saved successive set points with forehand winners. A deep Ruud drive seemed to land inside the baseline. After a split-second pause, Ramos-Vinolas circled a mark and tried to challenge, but the chair umpire ruled the challenge came late resulting in a third set point.

The Spaniard argued to tournament referee Cedric Mourier to no avail before saving a third set point. Then it was Ruud’s turn to tangle with the chair umpire over a call he questioned. Ramos-Vinolas withstood the turbulence leveling after 10 games.

Deadlocked at 5-all in the tie breaker, Ruud went big and bold to take command. Dancing around his backhand, Ruud ripped a forehand return winner down the line for set point before sealing the set with a body serve.

The 21-year-old Ruud broke for a 3-2 second set lead. Ruud rolled through 10 consecutive points to close, raising his 2020 record to 10-4. Ruud is bidding to join Novak Djokovic, Gael Monfils, Cristian Garin and Andrey Rublev as the fifth man on the ATP Tour to win two titles this season.


 

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