Casper Ruud overcame chest pain and a lively Argentinian crowd to defeat Francisco Cerundolo 6-4, 7-5 in a tense Madrid Open semi-final.
The Norwegian saved 15 of 18 break points despite an early medical timeout for a rib issue.
Ruud, who took painkillers during the match, fought back after dropping serve in the first set and survived a marathon second set with multiple breaks.
He argued with the umpire over crowd noise during a crucial game.
This victory marks Ruud’s first Madrid final and will see him return to the top 10 in the world rankings.
“I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to finish the match, honestly,” he admitted. He awaits the winner of Draper vs. Musetti in the final.
