Ruud takes advantage of Cerúndolo's doubts

Jose Morón | 2 May 2025 | 18.16

Ruud takes advantage of Cerúndolo's doubts. Photo: Getty

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Casper Ruud reached the final of the M1000 Madrid Open for the first time. The Norwegian overcame a Fran Cerúndolo who had the opportunity to win both sets but hesitated when he was ahead on the scoreboard. With a score of 6-4 7-5, the Norwegian managed to pull through a match where, if Fran had better managed his mental advantages, he would have had the upper hand completely as he also did not shine, unlike other days at the Madrid Open.

A magnificent duel of forehands was presented to us on the Madrid afternoon. Ruud, hunting for his first Masters 1000 title (yes, despite his status, he still doesn't have one), and Cerúndolo dreaming of the most important final of his career. One might have anticipated a battle to impose their drives in the early games of the match, but we encountered a somewhat bumpy start, with Casper complaining of physical issues that, at some point, seemed quite serious.

The Norwegian felt something in the area of his left shoulder when hitting a backhand. The physio attended to him while a doctor talked to him and gave him a pill. A subsequent break by the Argentine seemed to tilt the balance in Fran's favor, possibly thinking he already had the set in hand, given Ruud's physical problems, even considering playing the final on Sunday. Cerúndolo completely lost his mental composure and began making errors and squandering opportunities. The experienced Norwegian capitalized on Fran's doubts to turn the set around and start gaining distance.

What happened in the first set was that the Argentine couldn't finish off Ruud when he had the chance, and hesitating against a player of Casper's caliber is a bad omen. By the time Fran wanted to react, he found the set completely turned around and sat on the bench wondering what had happened in the last 15 minutes to lose that advantage he had against a player who seemed genuinely troubled physically.

The second set started in the same vein as the first, with Cerúndolo, on the whole, performing better, dictating his tennis and breaking Ruud's serve. However, when he needed to consolidate the advantage, he would then play a terrible game with his service. This happened on two occasions. When the score was even or he was behind, he delivered an offensive and precise play. When in the lead, his forehand dropped several notches, and he couldn't perform equally. The mental aspect, so crucial and often overlooked in tennis.

Ruud was delighted that his opponent offered him so much on a not-so-good day for him. The Norwegian played well but was too inconsistent. The good news for Casper is that Fran, today, didn't know how to capitalize on the advantages he had. Against another player with greater determination and a different mental approach, it's highly likely that he would have lost today.

The end of the match was marked by a 0-40 opportunity for Cerúndolo, at 5-5, which seemed to lead to a third set on the scoreboard. Casper was wavering, but Fran once again faltered in crucial moments and gave up that advantage, once more. It was the last chance for him. Losing those break points definitively removed him from the match, and Ruud didn't hesitate to secure his spot in the Madrid final. It was one of the few finals left for him to achieve on clay.

It's likely that this defeat will sting for Fran. Overall, we could say he played better, but he didn't know how to finish off Ruud when he had the opportunity. He played better when trailing or when the score was tied, but when he was ahead, his arm froze significantly. Despite everything, it will be a week with many positive aspects for the Argentine, who continues to progress. He likely knows where he needs to focus to avoid a repeat of today's events.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Ruud aprovecha las dudas de Cerúndolo