Casper Ruud secured a remarkable triumph over Stefanos Tsitsipas, avenging his recent defeat in the Monte Carlo Masters, to clinch the Barcelona Open title with a commanding 7-5, 6-3 victory on Sunday.
Just a week after Tsitsipas’s victory in Monte Carlo, it was the turn of the Norwegian third seed to emerge victorious in this thrilling clash of 25-year-old talents, marking his milestone 10th ATP title on clay.
“Honestly, this has been worth the wait,” Ruud said after capturing the biggest title in his career, with all his previous triumphs being in ATP 250 tournaments. Casper Ruud had been to plenty of big finals in his career, but always came up one win short—until now, that is.
After seven failed attempts to win a final above the ATP 250 level, Ruud was relieved to finally get over that hurdle.
“A lot of finals that I’ve lost have been tough, a bit disappointing, of course,” he said. “Anytime you reach a final, it’s nonetheless a good week, so you can’t be too hard on yourself, but this one has been a long time coming.”
The 25-year-old Norwegian snapped a 10-match winning streak for Tsitsipas, who was 10-0 on clay this season and was seeking his 12th career title.
The Greek gained an early break, but Ruud soon got into his groove and from then on he frustrated Tsitsipas with his baseline tactics.
Ruud maintained the upper hand throughout the second set, during which he did not face a break point.
“In the final in Monte Carlo, I was always on the back foot, too far behind, and he had too much time to control the game,” Ruud said. “It was a bit of a tricky start [here]. I got broken right away. So not the best start, but I managed to settle in and broke him back.”
