Ruud fends off Cerundolo for Madrid final berth

Casper Ruud repeatedly showed his class under pressure on Friday at the Mutua Madrid Open, where the Norwegian overcame Francisco Cerundolo 6-4, 7-5 to reach the final at the clay-court ATP Masters 1000.

The 14th-seeded Ruud received treatment on his rib from the physio after just three games, but went on to save 15 of 18 break points he faced overall against Cerundolo, according to Infosys ATP Stats. With his one-hour, 54-minute win in the Spanish capital, Ruud advanced to his third Masters 1000 championship match and simultaneously ensured he will on Monday return to the Top 10 of the PIF ATP Rankings after just two weeks away.

FINAL BOUND 🎟️@CasperRuud98 is through to his third Masters 1000 final after a 6-4 7-5 win over Cerundolo!@MutuaMadridOpen | #MMOpen pic.twitter.com/WrmgdYxg5S

— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 2, 2025

“I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to finish the match, honestly,” said Ruud. “I felt something in my rib during the warm up, just towards the end before going out [on court], and I felt it in nearly every shot, especially the serve. Luckily, I got some quick treatment on it. There’s not too much you can do, you only have three minutes [with the physio]. So I will go and check it out more now.

“I got a couple of painkillers, which is not the ideal thing, but at the same time in a situation like this, you have to do that now and then. I was able to just play one game at a time really. It was easing and getting better as the match went on.”

Awaiting Ruud in Sunday’s final in Madrid will be fifth seed Jack Draper. Should Ruud lift the trophy, he will become the first Norwegian to triumph at Masters 1000 level since the series was introduced in 1990.

Ruud entered Friday’s clash on a two-match losing streak against Argentina’s Cerundolo, including a straight-sets defeat on the hard courts of Miami in March. Yet after holding serve from 0/40 in the opening game and then receiving the treatment on his rib, the Norwegian clinched the first set with a decisive break of serve in the 10th game.

The second set was a topsy-turvy affair, with both players’ struggles on serve contributing to five breaks overall. A key turning point came in the fifth game, when Ruud saved all seven break points he faced to earn a 3-2 lead. Although he was unable to repeat that escape two games later, the Norwegian won four of five games from 3-4 to ensure he reached the final without having dropped a set across his five matches in Madrid so far.

After improving to 4-5 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Cerundolo, Ruud is up five spots to No. 10 in the PIF ATP Live ATP Rankings. The 12-time ATP Tour champion, who also reached Masters 1000 finals in Miami in 2022 and Monte-Carlo in 2024, could return to as high as World No. 6 on Monday if he lifts the Madrid trophy.