Casper Ruud Continues Dominant Streak at ATP 500 Barcelona Tournament, Defeats Matteo Arnaldi in Two Sets

He still hasn’t lost a set this week, even though he’s not playing at his best level. This shows that Casper Ruud’s average level is high on clay. Friday, he found a way to defeat in two sets (6-4, 6-3) and 1h33 of play the young Italian Matteo Arnaldi, the 40th player in the world who is on the rise, in the quarter-final of the ATP 500 tournament in Barcelona. Seeded number 3 in the event, the Norwegian will face Tomas Martin Etcheverry, who defeated Cameron Norrie (7-6, 7-6) earlier in the day, for a place in the final.

If the scoreboard may suggest that Ruud mastered everything in this match, the reality was quite different. Of course, the Monte-Carlo finalist broke from the start (2-0) and always led the score, but Matteo Arnaldi held on well, coming back to the level twice (2-2 then 3-3), before giving in while serving to stay in the first set at 4-5. Often manhandled from the baseline by the audacity of his opponent, the Norwegian was nevertheless able to capitalize on the Italian’s too many errors (32). As a symbol, he saved 4 break points when concluding the match on his serve. So jostled, Ruud never let go of the reins.

2024-04-19 15:23:00
#ATP #Barcelona #Casper #Ruud #qualifies #semifinals #beating #Matteo #Arnaldi