Casper Ruud defeats Machac to capture his third Geneva Open title
Casper Ruud beat Tomas Machac 7-5, 6-3 for his second match win in a day to clinch his third Geneva Open title
Casper Ruud in Barcelona (Aflo/Panoramic)
Casper Ruud battled past the talented Tomas Machac, beating the Czech 7-5, 6-3 to win a third Geneva Open title.
It capped a hugely successful day for the Norwegian, who had to find victory twice on Saturday after his semi-final against Flavio Cobolli was pushed back a day due to rain.
Even more remarkable was the lengthy and physical nature of that initial last-four match, with Ruud losing the first set 6-1 before clinching a deciding-set tiebreak to move into the showpiece.
Just hours later in the final, the world No 7 once again trailed in the opening set. Machac, who had so impressively taken out world No 1 Novak Djokovic in the first semi-final yesterday, served for the first stanza at 5-3 only for Ruud to win four games in a row to steal the opener.
A single break of serve was enough for the Norwegian in the second, as he completed an excellent day’s work to lift a thoroughly well-deserved second ATP title of the season, his twelfth in total.
ruud positions himself as an outside favourite for roland-garros
Machac can leave Geneva with immense satisfaction, having knocked out the world No 1 en route to a maiden ATP final.
He has underlined his status as a bright young talent to watch closely over the coming months and years.
Ruud, meanwhile, has once again shown just what a formidable prospect he is on the clay courts of Europe.
With two clay-court titles and a final at Monte-Carlo under his belt during this year’s stretch, the two-time Roland-Garros finalist should consider himself one of the favourites for the title in Paris in a year that is unprecedentedly open.
Having also himself earned a career-first victory over Djokovic in Monaco, the Norwegian is in typically fine form heading into the second Grand Slam of the year.
He has little time to savour this title win, and the physical toll of two matches in a day will be a legitimate concern. But if Ruud can navigate the first few rounds in Paris without being dragged into a lengthy encounter, then he will yet again be a genuine title contender at Roland-Garros.
For now, though, some much-needed physio and an evening off is in order to soak up a very good day at the office.
