Gstaad (Switzerland): Top seed Casper Ruud produced a clinical performance to register a comfortable 6-2, 6-0 semifinal victory over Albert Ramos-Vinolas and reach the final of the Swiss Open, here on Saturday.
In a battle between the past two champions at the clay-court ATP 250 event in Switzerland, Ruud was dominant throughout. The Norwegian broke 2019 champion Ramos-Vinolas’ serve five times and did not face a single breakpoint on his own delivery as he charged to a 62-minute victory.
“I played really well from the start to the end. I got the perfect start to have a 3-0 lead. He’s always a tough player to play against. He’s a lefty which makes everything a bit complicated sometimes,” said Ruud after the match.
“He’s a great fighter, a great runner, and makes a lot of balls. Today he made a few extra unforced errors, but I was also pressuring him all the time, playing heavy and very smart and aggressive, so I guess I was doing the right thing all the time,” he added.
Ruud will take on second seed Matteo Berrettini in Sunday’s championship match, after the Italian earlier defeated Dominic Thiem 6-1, 6-4.
Both Ruud and Berrettini are seeking their third title of 2022 and their second crown in Gstaad, where both finalists are also unbeaten. Berrettini triumphed on his sole previous appearance in the Swiss mountains in 2018, while Ruud defeated Hugo Gaston to lift the trophy on his maiden appearance at the event a year ago.
“It will be a tough one for sure. I know Matteo well. We didn’t grow up together but in the past years, we have played with each other a couple of times. He’s a super nice guy and he’s also on a good run on the Tour at the moment and also in Switzerland. We’ll both seek our second win here in Gstaad, and it will be an interesting match,” said Ruud after his semifinal victory.
A lightning-fast start from Ruud on Saturday saw his heavy baseline hitting earn a breakthrough on the Ramos-Vinolas serve in the second game. That set the tone for the match, as the Norwegian consistently pounced on any short balls offered by the Spaniard with his huge forehand.
A further break of the Ramos-Vinolas serve clinched the opening set for the top seed, and he was just as clinical in the second as the Spaniard continued to struggle behind his delivery. Ruud wrapped up his win having won 22/38 points on return in a commanding all-around performance.
Having lost his first four tour-level matches against Ramos’Vinolas, Saturday’ win improved Ruud’s ATP head-to-head series record against the Spaniard to 3-4.
The World No. 5 is chasing his fourth consecutive ATP Tour title in Switzerland in Sunday’s final, having also lifted the trophy in Geneva in 2021 and 2022 as well as last year in Gstaad.
–IANS
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