<p>Casper Ruud advanced to the ATP hardcourt event final in Los Cabos, Mexico, on Friday after defeating reigning winner Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) after a strong start.</p>
<p><img decoding=”async” class=”alignnone wp-image-441436″ src=”https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/theindiaprint.com-eliminating-stefanos-tsitsipas-casper-rudd-advances-to-the-los-cabos-open-final-ca.jpg” alt=”theindiaprint.com eliminating stefanos tsitsipas casper rudd advances to the los cabos open final ca” width=”987″ height=”658″ title=”Eliminating Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Rudd Advances to the Los Cabos Open Final 9″ srcset=”https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/theindiaprint.com-eliminating-stefanos-tsitsipas-casper-rudd-advances-to-the-los-cabos-open-final-ca.jpg 510w, https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/theindiaprint.com-eliminating-stefanos-tsitsipas-casper-rudd-advances-to-the-los-cabos-open-final-ca-150×100.jpg 150w” sizes=”(max-width: 987px) 100vw, 987px” /></p>
<p>Ruud, ranked fourth, won the first set without dropping a point on his serve. In the second set, he needed to save five set points to win in straight sets.</p>
<p>In the championship match on Saturday, the Norwegian will take on either eighth-seeded Australian Jordan Thompson or top-seeded German Alexander Zverev.</p>
<p>Overall, Ruud stated, “it was a really close match, especially the second set.” “I was lucky enough to hold him off there and save a few set points.”</p>
<p>Ruud, who had faced set points in his previous two service games, said, “I was just a bit lucky.” He stormed to a 4-0 lead in the tiebreaker and completed the match in one hour and forty-nine minutes.</p>
<p>Ruud, who won in San Diego in 2021, is hoping to win a second hard-court championship in his career. In three major 2022 title matches—the Miami Open, US Open, and Nitto ATP Finals—he was runner-up. He has won every championship he has held at the ATP 250 level.</p>
<p>If the No. 4 seed beats the winner of Saturday’s match between top seed Alexander Zverev and Australia’s Jordan Thompson, he will pass Tsitsipas when the rankings are released again and make a comeback to the Top 10.</p>
<p>By the conclusion of play, both Ruud and Thompson are expected to do double duty; Ruud will team up with William Blumberg, while Thompson will team up with Max Purcell.</p>
