Casper Ruud secured his first title of the year by outclassing Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets at the Barcelona Open final. The Norwegian, seeded third, triumphed over the Greek fifth seed with a 7-5, 6-3 victory, marking a significant milestone in his career.
Ruud, currently ranked sixth globally, expressed his joy after the match, stating, “This win means a lot to me; it’s my biggest title so far. I’ve been chasing this victory for quite some time. While I’ve reached a few finals before, this is the first time I’ve come out on top in an ATP 500 event.”
The match saw Tsitsipas break Ruud early on, only for the Norwegian to level the score by breaking back in the sixth game. Ruud then seized the opportunity to claim the first set by converting one of two set points at 6-5. In the second set, Ruud established a commanding 4-1 lead, capitalizing on a Tsitsipas forehand error, and held his nerve to secure victory in just 91 minutes, halting Tsitsipas’ impressive 10-match winning streak.
This win also serves as redemption for Ruud, avenging his loss to Tsitsipas in the Monte Carlo Open final just a week prior.
In other tennis news, Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff claimed his maiden ATP Tour title at the BMW Open in Munich, defeating American Taylor Fritz in straight sets. Meanwhile, at the Bucharest Open, Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics clinched his second ATP Tour title with a victory over Mariano Navone of Argentina.
Credit: BBC Sport
