Casper Ruud reaches Estoril SFs | ATP Tour

Match Report

Defending champ Ruud reaches Estoril SFs

Hurkacz sets Garin SF

April 05, 2024

Casper Ruud celebrates in Estoril on Friday.
By ATP Staff

Will Casper Ruud become the first champion to successfully defend his crown at the Millennium Estoril Open?

The Norwegian advanced to the semi-finals at the ATP 250 clay-court event on Friday when he dispatched Hungarian Marton Fucsovics 6-3, 6-2.

The top seed is chasing his first title since last year, when he defeated Miomir Kecmanovic in the Estoril championship match. In a dominant performance against Fucsovics, he won 82 per cent (28/34) of his first-serve points, according to Infosys ATP Stats, to triumph after 68 minutes.

“I’ve seen Marton play better, definitely I’ve felt Marton play better, because the last time we played I lost 6-0, 6-0 to him, double bagel. It’s some years ago now but happy to get my revenge,” Ruud said, referring to their ATP Challenger Tour meeting in Budapest in 2017.

“A bit unfortunate for him, struggling a bit physically [toward the end of the match]. But for me it’s another good match on the clay in Estoril. Moving on to the semi-finals without having to spend three hours on court is fantastic. I will have extra energy and time to recover for tomorrow.”

Casper: Clay Master ???? ????

He sails into the semi-finals with a 6-3 6-2 win over Fucsovics ????@EstorilOpen | #EstorilOpen pic.twitter.com/fCvOwhVCCl

— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 5, 2024

Ruud, who has won nine of his 10 tour-level titles on clay, has now reached 25 tour-level semi-finals on the surface. With his victory against Fucsovics, he has improved to 8-0 against players outside the Top 50 in the PIF ATP Rankings this year. He will next play Pedro Martinez.

Martinez overcame French lucky loser Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-4 to advance to his second tour-level semi-final of the season after one hour and 46 minutes.

The Spaniard has now won his past eight matches across all levels, after winning an ATP Challenger Tour trophy in Spain.

Second seed Hubert Hurkacz reached his first tour-level clay-court semi-final with a 7-6(4), 6-4 victory against Spaniard Pablo Llamas Ruiz.

The No. 10 player in the PIF ATP Rankings saved all eight break points he faced to advance after one hour and 46 minutes. Hurkacz has now reached 20 tour-level semi-finals. He is the first Pole to advance to the last four at a tour-level clay-court event since Lukasz Kubot in Stuttgart in 2011.

Hurkacz will next play Cristian Garin after the Chilean defeated Portugal’s Nuno Borges 6-2, 7-6(3).

With his two-hour, 11-minute win, Garin reached his first tour-level semi-final since Houston in 2022. He has also won three consecutive matches on clay for the first time since Rome in 2022.