A scintillating, world-class tennis championship match sees world No. 15 Casper Ruud capturing the Mutua Madrid Open title, the biggest of his career, by prevailing over fifth seed Jack Draper in three sets at the Caja Magica on Sunday.
Competing in his third Masters 1000 final, former world number two Casper Ruud beats world No. 6 Jack Draper 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 in a two-hour, 29-minute thriller to lift the Mutua Madrid Open trophy, his first at this level in the Manolo Santana Stadium on Sunday evening.
In his on-court interview, he outlined: “It feels great, of course. It’s been a long time coming. [This was] one of the really big goals I dreamed about when I was young, so it’s an incredible feeling to accomplish it. Also, the way I did it today. It was a great match.
“I knew Jack had been playing unbelievably all year, especially in this tournament, so I knew that if I didn’t bring my A-plus game, I was going to be whooped around the court.
“Luckily, I played really well. Jack has become such an incredible player on any surface now. He’s won a title on every surface except [clay], and he’s already made finals here in Madrid. It’s an incredible year he is having. This is a really big boost for me, and I would like to keep it going.”
Bidding to achieve a second Masters 1000 title in as many months, Draper came out firing from the outset, sharp behind his serve and lethal with his ripping forehand, damaging his opponent with his groundstrokes.
With back-to-back double faults, Ruud gifted the world number six the early break, taking a 2-1 lead.
From there, the fifth seed extended his lead, holding his advantage for much of the set, finding depth and power within his shots.
At 5-3, the Brit served for the match, but then he hit his first double fault, and it was enough for Ruud to set in motion an impressive turnaround.
Using his experience on a surface where he has claimed 11 of his 12 career titles on tour, the two-time Roland-Garros runner-up pushed forward, breaking serve to level up 5-5.
Under pressure, Draper misfired, losing his balance, while Ruud, who would win the last four games, held his ground 6-5, rushing to produce a double break with his backhand forcing shot in a pivotal 12th game, sealing the first set 7-5 in 52 minutes.
Wise on the return, the Norwegian player recorded a return rate of 224 compared to his rival, 209.
Moreover, the 14th seed won 91 percent of the points on his first serve.
An outstanding physical and intense championship match continued to unfold as play resumed to get the second set underway in Madrid.
Building momentum, the 26-year-old made a strong start, coming to the net often to generate some spectacular shotmaking.
For his part, the British No. 1 regrouped, finding his aggressive first serves to keep him on track with only fine margins to separate the players.
However, a tight seventh game leaned on Draper’s side as he fired a winner down the line to take the break and a 4-3 lead.
The Oslo-born stepped up the pressure, forcing the 23-year-old to rally, fending off two break points before extending his advantage.
By converting a double break in the ninth game, the Indian Wells champion leveled the final one set apiece in 37 minutes, sending the match into a decider.
Nearly flawless, Draper committed just one unforced error to 14 hit by Ruud, winning 81 percent of the points behind his first delivery.
They went toe-to-toe into the final set, rallying across a dramatic third game, displaying high-quality tennis.
Eventually, the British player saved three break points to move ahead 2-1.
On the other side of the net, the three-time major finalist executed volleys with brilliance, finding a way to navigate out of danger in the fourth game, breaking serve to steal the lead for the first time in the third.
Relentless, he stayed the course at 5-3, inching one game away from claiming a maiden Masters 1000 title.
An edgy road to the finish line saw Ruud serving out for the match 6-4, becoming the first Norwegian Masters 1000 champion at tour level.
En route to accomplish the biggest title of his career, he overpowered 20th seed Francisco Cerundolo 6-4, 7-5, booking his ticket to the championship match on Friday.
Meanwhile, Draper defeated 10th seed Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 7-6(4) to reach his first final on the clay court in Madrid, setting a meeting with Ruud for the title.
Neither player dropped a set on their way to the championship match, staged in the Spanish capital.
