2022 Geneva Open: Ruud to face Sousa in the final
What's the story
Number two seed Casper Ruud overcame Reilly Opelka in straight sets 7-6(2), 7-5 in the semi-finals of the Geneva Open. Notably, the defending champion is yet to drop a set in the tournament. He will be up against Portugal's Joao Sousa in the final later this evening. Sousa overpowered France's Richard Gasquet, scripting a win in straight sets 6-2, 6-2. Here's more.
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Ruud reflects on his arduous battle against Opelka
"It was a tough match today against Opelka like it always is. The serve he has is incredibly difficult to return here, with the altitude," said Ruud after the win over Opelka. He added that he is looking forward to facing Sousa in the final.
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Here are the numbers from the match
Ruud doled out four aces and two double faults to Opelka's 14. He conceded two double faults. However, the Norwegian pocketed 75 points in total, including 54 points through his serves. He claimed 21 receiving points.
Road
A look at Ruud's journey to the final
Ruud hammered past France's Benoit Paire 6-3, 6-1 in R16. He then beat Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-4, 7-6(3) in the quarters. In the semis, he ran down Opelka 7-6(2), 7-5. He now enjoys a 4-0 win record in ATP match-ups over the latter. As per ATP, Ruud has won five of the last six clay-court 250 events that he has played.
2022
How has Ruud fared in 2022?
Ruud won in Buenos Aires, thumping home-crowd favorite Diego Schwartzman 5-7, 6-2, 6-3. The 23-year-old lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the finals in Miami. He exited in the semi-finals of Rome Masters. He was out in the quarters in Barcelona and Munich. He was ousted in the third rounds at the Indian Wells and Miami Open. He exited in the second round in Madrid.
Journey
A look at Sousa's road to the final
Sousa battered Spain's Pablo Andujar 6-1, 6-4 in R32. He trumped the number five seed, Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-4, 6-3 in R16. In quarters, he rode past Ilya Ivashka 7-5, 7-5. In the semis, he made short work of Gasquet, winning by 6-2, 6-2. Sousa has now advanced to his 12th ATP tour final. He had won the Maharashtra Open in Pune earlier this year.
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Ruud leads Sousa in head-to-head meetings
Casper Ruud has a 2-0 lead over Joao Sousa in the ATP encounters. He had won their previous meets in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in 2019. Notably, both match-ups were on clay.