#NextGenATP Ruud Continues Love Affair With Brazil In Sao Paulo

Casper Ruud may be Norwegian, but Brazil is becoming like a second home. The #NextGenATP player defeated Bolivian Hugo Dellien 6-1, 6-1 on Friday in just 54 minutes to reach the semi-finals of the Brasil Open.

“Everything worked out today. It was really my day. He was a tough opponent and he was a very good player, so I had to play unbelievable to win with a score like this, 6-1, 6-1,” Ruud said. “I didn’t expect that to happen. I just tried to focus on every point, every point was important and I guess the margins were on my side and I played a good match.”

Ruud is just one win from reaching his maiden ATP Tour final, bidding to become the second Norwegian to do so in the Open Era after his father, Christian Ruud, who made the championship match in Bastad in 1995. The younger Ruud is into his second tour-level semi-final, after making the last four in Rio de Janeiro two years ago.

In fact, nine of Ruud’s 22 tour-level wins (22-22) have come in Brazil. The 20-year-old, who will crack the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings on Monday for the first time, also advanced to the quarter-finals in Rio this year, and both of his semi-final appearances have come in the country.

Ruud did not face break point against Dellien, winning 57 per cent of his return points and converting on five of his eight break chances. Ruud will face Chilean Christian Garin, who defeated fourth seed Leonardo Mayer of Argentina 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 47 minutes.

“It’s nice to win easily, but you also gain confidence when you win tough matches. Even though he’s played longer than me, I’m sure he’s ready for a good fight and I’ll be ready for everything tomorrow,” Ruud said of Garin, who is also pursuing his first ATP Tour final. “I’ll do everything I can to be ready. I think it’ll be a good match. Both of us are young and playing for our first final at an ATP [Tour event], so it will be an open match, I think.”

In a rematch of last week’s Rio Open presented by Claro final, Laslo Djere once again defeated #NextGenATP Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.

Djere, the only tour-level champion remaining in the Sao Paulo draw, had not reached an ATP Tour final before triumphing in Rio. But now, the Serbian will have a chance to reach a championship match for the second time in as many weeks when he faces third seed Guido Pella. The Argentine ousted compatriot Marco Trungelliti 6-0, 63 in one hour and 20 minutes.

Pella will try to reach his fifth ATP Tour final. The left-hander has not capitalised on any of those opportunities, and he is still in search of his first title.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/2tKx6Jv