Casper Ruud on Sunday joked that seven was his lucky number after claiming the most important trophy of his career in his seventh big final as he beat Jack Draper to win the Madrid Open.
The Norwegian, a three-time Grand Slam runner-up, earned his first Masters 1000 triumph with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 victory over the Briton in a two-and-a-half-hour tussle at the Caja Magica.
Rising star Draper, who moved fifth in the world rankings above Novak Djokovic, was hoping to add to his Indian Wells title in March, but Ruud outlasted him in his third Masters final.
Photo: AFP
“This was my seventh big final if you count them all, so seven is a lucky number, I guess,” Ruud said. “So it was worth the wait in the end. I’ve never really been too close in any of the finals when I look back — I’ve lost the majority of them in straight sets.”
After his prior struggles on the big occasion, also losing in the 2022 ATP Finals showpiece to Djokovic, Ruud was grateful to triumph in the Spanish capital.
“It is a mix somewhat of a relief and happiness, and just pure joy,” he said. “I know, based on the last years that I’ve had on tour, how tough it is to do well at the biggest tournaments, and I’ve never been able to get over the finish line as a champion, but today I was able to.”
Draper had been looking for the first clay-court title of his career.
“Congratulations to Casper on this win, you really deserve it — you were braver than me in the key moments,” Draper said. “This sport is brutal, but I will keep trying, I think this loss will make me better.”
The 26-year-old Ruud, ranked 15th, blinked first with back-to-back double faults to give Draper a break for 2-1 in the first set.
However in a seventh-game hold the Norwegian upped his power and showed his quality, hinting at the fightback which was to follow.
Serving for the set Draper was unable to polish off his opponent, who broke to tie the set at 5-5.
Ruud held and then broke to claim the first set as Draper mishit a forehand. It was the first set Draper had dropped at the tournament and he ranted aloud to his team to release his frustration.
Draper’s tactic seemed to work as he produced his best tennis in a brilliant second set in which he made just one unforced error and let his rasping forehand shine.
Draper broke in the seventh game for a 4-3 lead, saved two break points in the eighth and then broke again himself to claim the second set, with his third set point.
In the decider, Draper saved three break points to hold in a hard-fought third game, which lasted more than 10 minutes.
Ruud broke in the fifth game and consolidated for a 4-2 lead, with his first title of this stature in sight after 12 ATP titles at 250 and 500 level.
The tiring Draper saved a break point in the seventh game despite being docked a first serve for a time violation, and Ruud held for 5-3 to leave Draper serving to stay in the match.
The 23-year-old found a second wind and held to love to make Ruud serve it out.
Despite never triumphing at this level, Ruud powered through his final service game, opening up three match points and taking the first, with Draper sending a reply into the stands to end it.
“I honestly feel like I’m at the start of my journey,” Draper said. “I’m going to keep on improving and keep on pushing hard, and keep these sort of tough moments in my head to keep on driving myself to be better.”
TIGHT FINISH: Napoli only needed to do the same as or better than Inter, who won their game against Como 2-0 on the same day, leaving Napoli with a one-point lead The two players who Antonio Conte wanted more than any others secured Napoli their second Serie A title in three years on Friday. Scott McTominay scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick before halftime and Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead with a solo goal after the break in the decisive 2-0 home win over Cagliari. Conte became the first coach to win the Italian championship with three different teams. “Everyone contributed to this — but the coach most of all,” Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo said. “Napoli needed him to get back on top. He’s phenomenal.” Comparing it to his three Serie A titles won
The journey of Taiwan’s badminton mixed doubles duo Ye Hong-wei and Nicole Chan at the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur came to an end in the semi-finals yesterday after they suffered a 2-0 loss to China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping. Ye, 25, and Chan, 20, teamed up last year and are currently ranked No. 23 in the world. The Taiwanese shuttlers took on China’s second seeds in the mixed doubles event, but proved no match for Feng and Huang, losing the match 10-21, 7-21. In the first half of the first game, the pairings were neck and neck at 6-7 until Ye
SSC Napoli coach Antonio Conte has dragged the team back from disaster and restored them to the top of Italian Serie A, but his future at the Scudetto winners is in doubt even after a triumphant season. The fiery 55-year-old has exceeded preseason expectations and bolstered his reputation as a serial winner by guiding Napoli to their fourth Scudetto, and second in three seasons. However, he might well be on his way in the summer after just one season at the helm as his charged relationship with Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has simmered throughout the campaign. Conte has said
Carlos Alcaraz on Monday powered into the French Open second round with a resounding win to start his title defense, while world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and three-time defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek also progressed at Roland Garros. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz struck 31 winners in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri and is to face Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan in round two. Alcaraz is now on an eight-match winning streak at the French Open and also took Olympic silver at Roland Garros last year, losing the final to Novak Djokovic. “The first round is never