BARCELONA (AP) — Casper Ruud got his revenge against Stefanos Tsitsipas and won the Barcelona Open final in straight sets on Sunday for the biggest victory of his career a week after he lost the Monte Carlo Masters final to the Greek .
Ruud won 7-5, 6-3 for his first title of the season after losing his previous three finals.
“Honestly it was worth the wait,” Ruud admitted after his victory in Barcelona. “Many finals that I have lost have been difficult, a little disappointing, of course. Every time you reach a final it’s a good week, so you can’t be hard on yourself, but this has been expected for a long time.”
Seventh-ranked Tsitsipas won comfortably in Monte Carlo, but this time Ruud prevailed and converted three of his six break points.
“I am very happy to do it here in Barcelona in front of a full stadium on the Rafa Nadal Court,” added the sixth-ranked player. “It is a special moment because I have always admired him (Nadal), throughout my childhood, I came here as a child at 13 years old to see him play. “It’s a great feeling.”
Ruud now has his sights set on next month’s French Open after reaching the final last year, one of three Grand Slam finals he has lost.
The 25-year-old Norwegian ended a 10-match winning streak for Tsitsipas, who was 10-0 on clay this season and seeking his 12th career title. Tsitsipas has lost four finals in Barcelona —2018, 2021, 2023 and 2024.
This was Ruud’s 11th career title and 10th on clay. His last title was in Estoril in April 2023.
Source: AP
2024-04-22 09:07:05
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