BARCELONA, 21 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Norwegian tennis player Casper Ruud assured after winning the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell-71st Conde de Godó Trophy, by beating the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas by 5-7 and 3-6 in 1:29 hours, that it is a “big step” in his career to finally be able to win an ATP500 tournament and hopes that it will be a turning point to “grow” and be eligible to win Masters 1000 or a Grand Slam – with three finals behind him -.
“I have lost three finals this year (Monte Carlo, Acapulco and Los Cabos) and it is a pleasure to get revenge and win a trophy for once, it is a very good feeling and winning in Barcelona is a great step in my career,” he said in Press conference.
“I hope it is a turning point. Maybe I will play another Master 1000 or Grand Slam final (he has had two at Roland Garros and one at the US Open). The dream is to play another Grand Slam final. But to win a match like Today can be the difference between winning and losing. I hope it is a great step in my career to continue growing,” he said.
Ruud said he was experiencing a “fantastic feeling.” “It’s great to win this very special tournament, because I grew up watching it on television. It was a pleasure to see Rafa win here, the guy I admired when I was growing up and starting to play tennis. It’s always been a motivation and an inspiration to come here. Winning the trophy is a very good feeling,” he acknowledged.
After losing the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 last week against Tsitsipas, he chose this time to change the game script. “The tactics have been a little different from Monte Carlo. I have played a little more aggressively with my rest, closer to the line. It has helped me to play faster and try to be aggressive, because when Tsitsipas has time to be aggressive and control the game, it is very dangerous and difficult to defeat,” he said.
And he didn’t have the best start to the match (1-3 down after losing his first serve). “It wasn’t the best start, but then I was able to recover. But I am sure that Stefanos (Tsitsipas) will have another chance to win the title here in Barcelona. He has played in the final four times, so I think it is just a matter of time “, he predicted a first victory for the Greek in Godó.
Looking ahead to the Masters 1000 in Madrid, he believes he will arrive well at the Mutua Madrid Open. “I will have to rest and recover and think about doing something else, because I have been very busy for three weeks, they have been very hard. But I am ready, I think that when you are playing well it is important to continue while the body feels good,” he said.
2024-04-21 18:19:34
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