Ruud Edges Cerundolo in Madrid Open Thriller

Casper Ruud defeats Francisco Cerundolo despite rib injury to reach the Madrid Open final.

Casper Ruud reached the Madrid Open final with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Francisco Cerundolo. Despite playing with a rib injury, Ruud demonstrated his resilience and skill, saving 15 of 18 break points faced in the match.

The Norwegian's victory marked his third Masters 1000 final and first since Monte Carlo last year. Ruud's impressive performance propelled him into the final, where he'll compete for the title.

Casper Ruud overcame early chest discomfort and a hostile crowd to secure a spot in the final against either Jack Draper or Lorenzo Musetti.

Ruud reflected on the challenges he faced, saying, “There's a lot of things to deal with as a player. It's a lot of fun, of course, travelling the world and living this life is like a dream, don't get me wrong. But of course you have struggles all along, almost every single week you're dealing with some kind of minor pain or fatigue or stress somehow.”

Casper Ruud faced an early challenge, saving four break points in the opening game. During the 2-1 changeover, he requested a medical timeout due to chest pain that radiated to his back, which he had experienced during warm-ups.

Ruud received treatment and took painkillers before returning to the court. The interruption seemed to affect Francisco Cerundolo, who won the next two games and took a 3-2 lead with a break. However, Ruud quickly regained his composure and leveled the match.

Ruud sealed the first set with a decisive inside-out forehand in game 10, winning the set 6-4 after 48 minutes.

CASPER RUUD reaches 7th “Big” Final (4th on clay) and a 1st in Madrid‼️

Def Cerundolo 6-4 7-5

Down a break in set 1 & twice down a break in set 2, he played smart, heavy, & composed.

No sets lost vs Korda, Fritz, Medvedev, & Cerundolo.

Back to Top 10💪pic.twitter.com/lgYIidPvop

— TennisONE App (@TennisONEApp) May 2, 2025

The second set was intense, with five breaks of serve and 18 break point opportunities. Ruud saved seven break points in a marathon 13-minute game to hold for 3-2. However, he had a dispute with the chair umpire over disruptions from Argentine fans before serving.

The pivotal moment came in game 12 when Casper Ruud converted his second match point, securing a spot in the Madrid Open final. Francisco Cerundolo congratulated Ruud at the net, saying, “Too good, huh. Good luck.”

Ruud's final appearance is expected to boost his ranking, potentially returning him to the top 10. Ruud admitted, “I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to finish the match, honestly,” highlighting the challenges he faced during the match.

“I felt something in my rib during warm-up, just towards the end, before going out and I felt it on almost every shot, especially the serve. And luckily I got some quick treatment on it.

“Of course I'll go and check it out more now. I took a couple of painkillers, which is not ideal but in a situation like this, you have to do that every now and then.”